


How To Cram Two School Curriculums In One School Year

by st_jimmy_987



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drug Use, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mentioned suicide attempts, Multi, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2018-05-04 14:32:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 119,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5337617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/st_jimmy_987/pseuds/st_jimmy_987
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Tavros is cajoled into joining his school Academic Decathlon team and is put under more stress in one school year than any student has a right to due to constant studying and one Gamzee Makara.</p>
<p>(Alternately titled: Academic Decathlon and How It Ruined My Life)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I've decided to try and cross post some of my stuff from ff.net. Starting with an incomplete work is probably not the best choice, but maybe it'll motivate me to get off my ass and finally finish it.

"You, uh, you want me for...for what?" Tavros Nitram cringed back slightly when Vriska Serket, his best enemy, threw her arm around his shoulders and pulled him firmly against her side. Her sapphire blue eyes shone in mischief, and a wide grin Tavros didn't really trust stretched across her lips.

"Join our AcaDec team!" She repeated loudly.

"What, uh, is AcaDec, exactly?" Tavros stammered slightly. Vriska sighed heavily in annoyance, shoving the boy away from her and grabbing his arm instead; she spun him around so that he was no longer walking and was instead facing her directly.

"It's a competition!" She announced with grandeur, using her other arm to emphasize her point. Her violent blue eyes were alit with passion and excitement, but also the little bit of craziness that kept Tavros in a semi-constant fear of her. "You get a topic, just one general time period, and you devote the entire year to learning every little thing you can about it. We learn about the artists, the musicians, the authors, everything. And then, during competition season, we compete against other AcaDec teams to prove which school is the better school!"

"Um, it just sounds like extra school work to me." Tavros made a face at the thought of more work piled on top of his school work. "Why would anyone want, uh, more school work?"

"The same reason people join any competitive team!" Vriska shook him slightly. "For friends! For glory! For the ability to defeat rival school and rub their faces in the dirt with your superiority!"

"But, uh, you have no proof that you'd even win anything." Tavros pointed out. Vriska took a deep breath, her hand tightening painfully on his arm, and he backpedaled quickly in case she decided to get more violent than just shaking him. He hated it when she gave him bruises; they always lasted for weeks and they were impossible to explain to Rufio. "I wasn't aware that we even had a team for, um, something like that."

"It's a fairly new team." She said through clenched teeth. Her body was tensed, and Tavros was hoping that talking about her team would prevent her from doing him any bodily harm. "It just started about two years ago." Vriska sniffed slightly in disdain, but it seemed to work; she relaxed and shook his arm again, pleadingly this time. "We really need a few new members. C'mon, Tavvie, it'll be fun!" Tavros winced at the nickname, but he knew how this was going to end. He sighed heavily, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

"Fine." He sighed. Vriska squealed and released his arm, punching it squarely before she turned and bolted. Tavros winced again and rubbed his arm where she hit him. He watched her as she left, wondering how much he'd regret letting her talk him into something like this.

The next morning, Tavros stood with another boy, Sollux Captor, in front of eleven others in a classroom. Tavros yawned, hiding behind his oversized black sweatshirt; he had woken up late, not used to having to be at school at 7:05 in the morning, and didn't have time to properly dress. Half of what he wore was his older brother Rufio's, which meant it was too big for Tavros and hung off his body. While the too-big sweatshirt was fine, his pants were also too big. His hand was wrapped firmly around his belt loop, holding the loose jeans up on his slim frame.

"So," Karkat crossed his arms, sniffing disdainfully. He was leaning on the desk, watching the two of them critically. "You morons are the two new fuckasses joining our stupid ass AcaDec team?" Karkat Vantas was the shortest kid in their grade, just barely hitting five feet, but sometimes Tavros forgot that due to the sheer volume of his voice. The boy had no concept of an inside voice, which meant his words were either shouted or screamed out, depending on how pissed off he was. At the moment though, he looked almost as tired as Tavros felt, slowly getting to his feet and yawning widely behind a packet of paper. "Do you morons know anything about AcaDec?"

"You didn't tell me anything, just to be here at 7." Sollux crossed and then uncrossed his arms, squirming uncomfortably by Tavros. Captor seemed twitchy, his fingers working by his sides in random and rolling patterns. "Unless this kid got more outta VK than I did outta you, we're shit outta luck." Karkat glowered at him and then at the ceiling, as if he was praying for patience. Then he started pacing the floor in front of Tavros and Sollux, staring at them both critically. Tavros squirmed uncomfortably in his clothes, not used to the amount of scrutiny Karkat was watching him with. Vriska didn't even glare at him so potently, and she hated him half the time! Sollux didn't seem to mind; his fingers twitched every now and then, brushing up against Tavros's as they did so. He seemed tired as well, but for a different reason: everyone who knew Sollux knew that he liked to stay up with no sleep when he started working on some computer project. Tavros wondered how long the other boy had been up for and what was so important Sollux would abandon something as wonderful as sleep.

"We recruited you two fuckasses to be in our Varsity section of our team." He informed them loudly.

"Varsity?" Tavros perked up a bit at that, trying to force the drowsiness out of his voice. He rubbed his eye, trying to focus. "That's, uh, good, right?"

"Yes, it is." Karkat responded, making Tavros wince because Vantas had gotten right in his face to say it. His drowsiness chased away to Karkat's immense satisfaction, the Vantas nodded once and crossed his arms. "It is, because we already have everything else filled up." He marched over to the white board and pulled open a black marker.

"Do we really need a diagram?" Sollux whined, looking behind him longingly at the desk where Feferi and Eridan were seated. "Can't we sit down first?"

"Shut the fuck up, Captor." Karkat snapped without turning around. He stood up on his toes and wrote 'Honors', 'Scholastic', and 'Varsity' as high as he could on one board. On another, he wrote the words 'Academic Decathlon'. Underlining each of those, Karkat turned around and shot them a quick glare to be sure they were paying attention. "This is how Academic Decathlon works, so pay attention!"

Academic Decathlon was just that: a decathlon. They had ten subjects to compete in, including a speech, an essay, and an interview along with their other subjects. Every year they were given a general topic to cover all of the usual school subjects. Last year's topic was Ancient China; this year's was the Great Depression. Karkat wrote each subject on the board: Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Speech, Science, and Social Science. Each test was about fifty questions, except mathematics which was thirty-five, and would take a half hour each. Karkat added two lines to 'Speech', writing 'Impromptu' on one and 'Prepared' to the other. A line was added to Science with the words 'Super Quiz/Public Humiliation'. He also drew a line towards Language and Literature and wrote out a book- - - _The Grapes of Wrath_ by John Steinback. They all had to purchase the book, as they were going to be using it for the majority of the year; Karkat demanded that they give him at least twenty dollars so that he could go buy the book if they were too lazy to go to the damn bookstore themselves. Interviews were something they would help each other with, as that was something that would vary from person to person, and for the three-and-a-half to four minute speech they had to write their own speeches.

"What, um, what kind of speech?" Tavros asked, his voice squeaking at the end when Karkat glared at him for interrupting.

"Any kind of speech you want!" Vriska answered from the back. Karkat spluttered in fury when Sollux and Tavros turned around, but they ignored him when she kept talking. "As long as it's an original speech that no one else has used, it can be about anything you want. You can make it funny, informative- - -last year, someone did a speech about bacon!" The whole class laughed, something that was cut down when Sollux pointed at the board.

"What is an impromptu speech?" He asked, his brows furrowed over his red and blue glasses.

"Impromptus are the worst!" Eridan whined, draping himself over Feferi dramatically; Tavros would have laughed if it wasn't for the fact that everyone around him shuddered in mock horror as well. "You go to the room and they'll give ya a choice of three topics. Ya gotta choose one, and then you have about a minute or so to pull a minute-and-a-half to two minute speech out of your ass."

"What?" Tavros squeaked at the same time Sollux rolled his eyes and muttered "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"No, we're not." Karkat thundered back, bringing attention back to him. "We'll help with those too, all right, keep your damn pants on." He glowered at the rest of the team behind Sollux and Tavros. "Now, if you morons are done interrupting, I'd like to fucking finish."

Super Quiz usually varied between Science and Social Science. Since it alternated between the two from year to year, this year was Science. They had a written portion of the test, which was forty questions that were completed with the rest of the subject tests. The last ten questions was where the Public Humiliation came in.

"What, exactly, is 'Public Humiliation'?" Sollux interrupted this time, though Karkat seemed almost please at the thought of explaining.

"We all get piled into the auditorium of wherever we are, and each section of the team," here he pointed at the other whiteboard, "goes one by one. They ask a question, you've got around seven seconds to bubble in your answer, and then they tell you the answer."

"And, uh, how is that Public Humiliation?" Tavros stammered out. Karkat grinned with his teeth and Tavros shrank back into his sweatshirt.

"If you get your answer right, you wave your pencil in the air. Like so." Karkat capped his marker quickly and twirled it in a graceful circle. "So everyone knows what answers you get right and what answers you get wrong."

"That doesn't seem so bad." Sollux scoffed, crossing his arms and smirking. "I think you guys are being a bunch of fucking pussies if that's all it takes to get under your skin."

"Sollux!" Tavros squeaked in horror. 

"It's ok, Tavros." A voice rang out. Tavros peeked to his side and met the baby blue eyes of one of the guys on the team: John Egbert. John smiled at him kindly before looking at Sollux. "It's not so bad when it's just us and we're practicing." John admitted from his spot by Dave. The coolkid shrugged one shoulder when everyone looked at him and John, but Egbert kept talking. He was looking a little bit faint, though it probably had more to do with what he was saying and less from the absolute murderous glare Karkat was sending him from the front of the room. "But with all the other competing teams looking and watching you, as well as laughing whenever you get a question wrong..."

"Not to mention," Dave cut in coolly, just when Tavros started paling as well at the thought of what John said, "the Super Quiz Relay is the only part of the test that's open to the public, which means that it's not just the other teams who watch. It's their coaches, their parents and friends and whoever the fuck else they invite."

"Hence, Public Humiliation." Karkat finished triumphantly. Tavros shook lightly; Sollux tensed up, his fingers turning white where he gripped his arms. "Not to mention, the two in each category who get the most answers right are the two whose tests go towards the collective score of the team."

"How do we know who's in what category of the team?" Sollux asked, motioning to the nearly empty whiteboard.

"That's due to our GPA." Karkat switched boards, sliding the 'Academic Decathlon' one over to the left and dragging the other one closer. "Honors is a GPA of 3.75-4.0. Our Honors section consists of Ampora, Egbert, and Gamzee." The three names went went alphabetically by last name under the 'Honors' category, while the GPA was written at the top by the word. Karkat moved slightly to his left, continuing onto 'Scholastic'. "GPAs of 3.0-3.74 is Scholastic; that's Vriska, Strider, and Equius." Karkat turned when he got to Varsity, making sure that Sollux and Tavros understood where they stood in the team hierarchy. "We'll make up the Varsity team. That's the GPA of 0-2.99." He wrote their names down, starting with Sollux's and ending with his own, and turned to face them again. His explanation was met with quiet applause from the rest of the team, but stunned silence from the two he was explaining to.

"Wait, I was recruited for what?" Sollux raged at his best friend, his fists clenched and his face twisting in a snarl. Karkat threw his marker at Sollux, hitting the other boy in the chest as he yelled at him. Tavros winced as the volume escalated in his ear, but shot his own weak glare at Vriska. He couldn't believe it; yes, his grades weren't the best but he didn't need a team that would rub it in his face. The girl beamed at him and waggled her fingers in response, leaning back in her seat and letting her hair splay out all over Eridan's desk behind her. The Honors student spluttered angrily, much to the amusement of Feferi and Sollux; she giggled, hiding her face behind her hand and he snorted, breaking his glare at Karkat.

"We needed you two nook sniffers because your grades literally suck ass even though you're supposedly intelligent as fuck." Karkat snapped back, crossing his arms as glaring at Sollux and Tavros. Tavros winced again; it seemed that Karkat was holding back during his explanation, but now that he was done, his language was back in full force. When Sollux didn't return his attention to his best friend, Karkat reached out and whacked him soundly on his side; Sollux winced and turned on him. "We need more Varsity students. I can't be in a team all by myself."

"I bet you could be if you tried." Sollux teased, already over his indignity at being placed in Varsity. "And besides, I'm not 'supposedly intelligent', I'm totally way smarter than you." Karkat shouted something unintelligible back at him, but Tavros wasn't paying attention; his eyebrows furrowed, the Nitram was looking at the subjects they had to study.

"This is, um, almost like another curriculum." Tavros pointed out. It interrupted Sollux's and Karkat's banter, drawing attention to him again. Tavros flushed but kept talking. "How, uh, when are we supposed to study all of this?"

"Competition season doesn't start until around February or so." Karkat continued his explanation. "Which means we have until then to learn all this material." He switched whiteboards again, pulling a blank one towards him and re-writing all the topics out. Adding lines to all of them this time, Karkat began writing down dates. "We get packets for these; we'll study them one at a time, for a week. We'll read a section of a packet every night and take quizzes every day for each part that we read. The one we need to study the most is Super Quiz, so we'll start with Science first." He glared over his shoulder to find any objections; finding none, he continued. "Essay we'll have to spend another week tackling; we'll use essay prompts from the USAD website to help with that."

"And speeches?" Sollux asked casually.

"Speeches you fuckasses need to be working on starting now." Karkat whirled around and pointed at Vriska, Gamzee, Eridan, John, and Dave. "You lot of losers were either on the team or in the class with me last year. All of you should have at least one speech done." He glared at them until they all admitted that they did, in fact, have a speech done; Gamzee was the only one who admitted having one right away with a careless wave and honking laugh that made Tavros jump about five feet in the air.

"And, uh, i-impromptus?" Tavros asked quietly. Karkat turned his dark eyes to him, but Tavros was staring at the floor. He scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the floor, his brow furrowed as he debated the merits of joining the team.

"Impromptus we work on in class." Karkat said slowly, glaring suspiciously at Tavros. "We'll work on them once a day, after we discuss the packets."

"I'm in." Sollux decided loudly. Tavros jumped and watched out of the corner of his eye as the taller boy turned on his heel. He high-fived Gamzee as he passed him, flipped Vriska off with his other hand, and collapsed on the seat beside Feferi. The girl smiled proudly and ruffled his hair, Eridan glaring at the both of them out of the corner of his eye. Karkat clapped once, the sound echoing in the room.

"Good on ya, asshole!" He yelled. Tavros managed a small smile, one that was wiped away when Karkat turned to face him with a set glare. "And you?"

"W-Well, I..." Tavros stammered, eyes wide as everyone turned to look at him. Sollux began shouting encouragement, followed shortly by Feferi and Vriska. Karkat threw an eraser, then another marker when they wouldn't shut up; despite the oncoming projectiles they kept their words of encouragement up. It was probably because Karkat had absolutely horrible aim and both eraser and marker flew harmlessly over everyone's heads. Tavros felt his hands clench, turning his head sharply to the side when he felt a gentle touch on the top of his hand. Gamzee smiled lazily up at him, his fingers tapping lightly on Tavros' hand.

"Hey, motherfucker." He said quietly. "We could really do to have you on our motherfucking team, y'know?"

"Seriously, Tavros." Karkat said gruffly, crossing his arms. "We don't have time to find another person. We're behind schedule as it is because we couldn't get recruits at the end of last year like we hoped. We need you." He squirmed uncomfortably when he said it; Tavros sent him a small smile to settle him. Vantas hated admitting he needed help, even when he was asking for the sake of his team and not himself.

"C'mon, motherfucker." Gamzee dragged Tavros's eyes back down to him when he spoke. Tavros flushed darkly, but Gamzee ignored it and swung their hands slightly. "It'll be all kinds of bitchtits awesome."

"I...all right." He conceded, glancing pitifully at Vriska when she let out a loud whoop. He moved to sit next to her, but Gamzee tightened his grip on his hand and pulled him into the seat next to him. Too afraid to pull away from the Makara, Tavros allowed himself to be manhandled. The loud slap of papers hitting the wood of the desk made him jump; Tavros looked down as Karkat strode down the desks to dump another huge packet on Sollux's desk. In unison, both boys groan at the size.

"What the fuck is this?" Sollux demanded.

"This is what we're learning this week." Karkat snapped. "Super Quiz is at the top. Start reading, fuckasses."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The details surrounding the team in terms of relationships and studying.

"Hey, Fefurri, watch this!" Nepeta abandoned her normal post by Equius, dragging another blonde girl by the arm over to where Feferi, Eridan, and Sollux were huddled; Tavros watched her pass in front of him, recognizing the blonde as she did so. Rose Lalonde followed the over eager brunette willingly; though Nepeta's shout caught both Feferi and Sollux's attention, Eridan forced himself to turn up the music on his iPod and focus on the Music packet in front of him.

"God dammit, you useless high asshole!" Karkat's screams came at the same time Nepeta sat down to explain something to Feferi. Tavros tilted his head in time to watch Karkat deliver a sound blow to Gamzee's side, though the Makara let out a loud laugh and ruffled Vantas's hair. The Varsity student bristled appropriately, shouting out louder obscenities as he waved the Music packet wildly in the air.

"You need to all up and calm down, motherfucker." Gamzee breathed out easily, closing his eyes and slipping a couple of pills into his mouth as he reclined in his seat. Karkat slapped him in the face with the packet, but Gamzee didn't do much more than open one eye halfway to focus on his best friend.

"How in the fucking hell do you think- - -"

"Oh, my god, Kanaya, are you serious?" Vriska's obnoxious laugh came from behind Tavros, followed by the gentle, soothing murmur of Kanaya's voice. John's voice sounded absently from beside Tavros' distracting him yet again as the Honors student whispered every other word as he read. His clear eyes were focused on the words before him, soaking up the information as best as he could. Dave sat on John's other side, shades on as always, the tinted glasses making it impossible to see where his eyes were. Nonetheless, his hands were in the air playing imaginary timetables as he rapped the Music packet.

The loud noises in an otherwise serious setting put Tavros at ease slightly as he focused back onto the Music packet. It had been about a month of meeting in the morning and during all their breaks, and Tavros was beginning to get the hang of the AcaDec curriculum. It was hard, partly because Tavros had been right: it was an extra amount of school work on top of his homework. He had to work through all his homework right when he got home, ad then he had to read the pages of the packet assigned to them. In all honesty, it wasn't much; Tavros had assumed, with Karkat taking over as a team leader despite being in Varsity, that the work would be harder. Instead, Karkat would assign around ten pages to read along with their speech writing. They were moving through the packets at a decent pace, though Karkat seemed to assign the work at a different rate; they started out with Science because it was the Super Quiz subject, then moved onto Social Science and Art. They just started on the Music packet two days before, though Karkat had the beginnings of a habit Tavros knew he was going to hate: he would add ten pages of Science to re-read along with the pages they needed to learn.

It also had taken Tavros almost a month to get comfortable with everyone that was always in the AcaDec classroom. He had been something of a loner in his freshman year, the kid that blended into the wall until Vriska decided to pull him into the spotlight with her viciousness. Then he was anyone's game, bullied until everyone had forgotten him once again. Though he hated the pattern, he hadn't been too sure on how to break the cycle and had therefore resigned himself to going through the same treatment again in his sophomore year. When he had been recruited for AcaDec, Tavros hadn't expected much to change other than his amount of homework.

He was wrong.

It seemed that everyone decided to have a shot at getting to know Tavros. Sollux would appear out of nowhere with Eridan and Feferi, walking with him as they entered the school to go to class. He could be standing in line for lunch, staying out of people's way with his small stature and thin frame, only to be joined by Dave and John when they would appear out of thin air. Nepeta waved at him when she passed him in the hallways, Equius on one side and her girlfriends on the other. Kanaya would sit with him in whatever class they shared, giving him a little bit of help without raising his GPA over the 2.99 mark. Karkat developed Dave's habit of appearing out of nowhere, demanding to see Tavros's speech. Gamzee would lope after him in the hall, trapping Tavros in bear hugs and conversations that didn't always make sense.

Then again, not much of anything Gamzee did made any sense. He took his pills, something that made Tavros a bit uncomfortable but nobody seemed to care about it. He smelled weird, like he was constantly smoking weed, and his eyes kept this near vacant look all the time. It worried Tavros immensely, but he didn't know how to bring it up without being insensitive or rude. But Gamzee's face always lit up whenever he saw Tavros, and he would rush over so quickly that he'd be shoving students out of his way to talk to him. He was so tall compared to Tavros, the Varsity student noticed, but Gamzee would always bend down to make eye contact as best as he could.

It would fluster Tavros at first, especially since Makara was so tall and daunting, but as the days passed Gamzee made no move to do anything more than hug him and ruffle Tavros's mohawk. Once it dawned on Tavros that Gamzee wouldn't do anything else, he began relaxing around him. Every once in a while, Tavros would run up to him; the look of surprise and pure happiness lighting up Gamzee's face always made Tavros feel special and worth something. His hugs would be extra tight, and they would last longer if the small Nitram approached him first. Without realizing it, Tavros began keeping an active eye out for Gamzee, searching for the tall Makara through the students in the hallway. He grew much closer to Gamzee than anyone else in the team, the two beginning to spend any time they could together. Tavros could tell it annoyed Vriska when he would politely turn down her invitation to hang out with her in order to study with Gamzee, but he couldn't help but be drawn to Makara.

Despite the team's dynamics and how close everyone seemed, Tavros learned that almost half the team this year was new. Vriska, Karkat, and Gamzee had been on the team the year before, and everyone but them had either graduated or dropped from the team; it left them in a bind, forcing them to rush around to get recruits. John had followed Karkat, dragging Dave and Eridan with him, but they hadn't been able to get on the team until this year. They had done the work, reading the packets, writing speeches, holding mock impromptus and interviews, but they hadn't been doing anything other than training for this year.

Nepeta had heard from Gamzee and Karkat about needing new members, and had approached Equius about the idea; he agreed to try it out for a year, taking up a spot in Scholastic easily. Sollux, though, had to be approached a second time. The first year, Karkat tried to force him to join and Sollux had stopped talking to him for almost a month until Vantas dropped it. This time, Eridan and Feferi helped Karkat encourage Sollux, and he agreed to try it out.

Despite the added recruits, the team dynamic hadn't changed much.

Dave and John, the two quietly studying for once, were both ironically and un-ironically dating. Dave was a self proclaimed coolkid, never taking off his shades and keeping his straight poker face at all times. He was musically inclined, apparently, something that he proved by one day bringing in a guitar and performing an acoustic version of "Bei Mir Bistu Shön" for John; on top of that, he was always rapping the important parts of their study guides as if it would help them remember the information better.

John, on the other hand, was something of a dork. He was clumsy and bright, his smile always wide. Though he hadn't actually been on the AcaDec team the year previous, he'd been in the class and he knew how to push himself and his teammates to study. A bit on the naive side, John thought the best of everyone around him. He was friendly, but he enjoyed playing pranks on the people surrounding him. Tavros, shy as he was, managed to get close to him after John offered him a piece of gum and Tavros had an electric shock go through his fingers that effectively numbed his appendages.

Dave would watch him pull his pranks without breaking his facade, always close by so John could throw his arms around his neck and plant a kiss on the coolkid's cheek. Despite their obviously polar opposite personalities, Dave was obviously the best match for John; they simultaneously pushed each other when it came to studying, though John pushed Dave a bit more.

Nepeta, Feferi, Terezi, and Kanaya were not actually on the team or even in the class, but they often were there the most.

Terezi would tease Karkat mercilessly about his grades and position in the team, which resulted in the loudest screams and insults from the shorter Vantas. She couldn't see, a disability she'd had since birth she told Tavros when they met, so it sent weird chills up his spine at how easily she moved around. Somehow, Terezi knew how many people were in a room with her, and even who was around her. Her grins were wide and sharp, and she would swing her cane around when she wasn't using it. She was very pretty, and Karkat's eyes always watched her whenever she walked into the classroom. He didn't seem to want to do anything about asking her out, though, his attention always returning to the pamphlet as if it was a lifeline for him to hold onto.

Kanaya would take up a post next to Vriska, and the two girls would spend their time whispering to each other. She had spoken to Tavros a couple of times, and he had warmed to her much quicker than he had to anyone in the class. Her voice was soft and soothing, and she always held herself highly without appearing to look down on anyone. Every once in a while, like this morning, her friend Rose would join them. Rose was quiet and gothic, with a love of magic that sparked many fights with Eridan. Vriska teased Kanaya mercilessly about talking to Tavros, but she would completely ignore Rose when she came, something that Kanaya would silence or stop with a simple look. Every morning, no matter how annoyed she was with Vriska, the elegant girl would bring in a bunch of cloth and she would spend her time sewing as Vriska read over the packet she'd gotten for the day.

Feferi, Tavros learned, was Eridan's stepsister. Their parents had married when the two were about four or five, so they lived a majority of their lives together. They were only a couple of months apart, and they were fiercely loyal and protective of each other. The two of them had their own inside jokes, were avid lovers of sea and sea life, and used fish puns whenever they could.

Eridan Ampora was haughty and disdainful, something that kept Tavros away from him at first. He would sneer at Tavros's clothes, and picked fights with Sollux about they way he lived. Tavros was wary of him until a week into AcaDec studying; he had been walking to the library to get a book when he spotted Eridan eating lunch alone. He'd geared himself up, mustering as much courage as he could and approached him with the intention of greeting the Honors student; surprisingly, they'd ended up having a nice lunch time and though he was still pompous, Eridan turned out to be very vulnerable. He was surprisingly insecure, something Tavros found when lunch ended and Eridan stammered out an offer to pay Tavros to be his friend. He declined, of course, and Eridan's face had fallen for the briefest moment before Tavros added that he'd be Eridan's friend for free. Feferi had beamed brightly the next morning when Tavros joined them, sitting on the other side of her stepbrother.

Feferi, on the other hand, was bubbly and nice, though she had a hidden cruel streak that Tavros spotted when a couple of boys had been picking on Eridan and Sollux. In the classroom, though, she was nothing but friendly. It still brought a violent blush to Tavros's face when she threw her arms around him in a hug whenever she saw him. She would huddle with him and Sollux while they studied, playing mediator when Eridan acted too much like a high end douchebag or Sollux was exhausted from three nights with no sleep and purposefully picking a physical fight with him.

Nepeta, Equius and Gamzee were by far the most complicated. Nepeta was there for both males, though in different ways: she appeared to have a special interest in Gamzee and be Equius' best friend and advisor. The buff Scholastic student would put up with her cat puns, borderline ADD bubbly personality; when he wasn't studying, he would role play with her. At the same time, Nepeta would quiz him mercilessly on his topic of choice and seemed to have an endless supply of towels on her to combat his almost constant sweating.

Gamzee and Nepeta, though, had a different relationship. Though he would offer, like he did with everyone every morning, Nepeta would refuse his pills or his weed with a curtness only Karkat held for him. She didn't seem to mind the constant smell of being high Gamzee would produce, and would snuggle into his side like a cat. Nepeta brought him lunch, and stuck around to make sure he'd eaten all of it as if she was personally tasked with watching over him. She would subdue herself just a little around the Makara, asking questions that were more personal than anything else; they giggled and shared personal gossip, and she would kiss his cheek every time she came or went.

Tavros found out from Gamzee why during an interview practice about a week ago: Nepeta was Gamzee's niece.

Her mother, Meulin Leijon, had been around sixteen when she'd gotten pregnant. She had been dating Gamzee's older brother at the time, and they'd been simultaneously ecstatic and terrified. Kurloz, Gamzee's older brother, had told his parents what happened, and they offered their support to him and Meulin. His mother had been ecstatic, even, having been a couple of months pregnant with Gamzee at the time. Encouraged, the young couple had brought it to Meulin's mother's attention.

That had been the wrong to do, a huge error on their part; Meulin's mother had been furious and had gone into a rage-induced violence. She'd attacked her daughter, managing to do extensive damage to the surprised teen, and Kurloz had somehow managed to get between the two long enough to get Meulin away. Meulin never went back to her mother, and Nepeta had never met her maternal grandmother despite being a doted grandchild.

However, Kurloz had taken too long to save his girlfriend, and she'd ended up in the hospital due to the injuries she'd gotten. Meulin ended up all right, as had Nepeta, but injuries to her head had caused her hearing to fade away while in the hospital and it had never come back. Kurloz, filled with regret at not being able to help her sooner, had shut himself in his room for the rest of her pregnancy until the day she had given birth to Nepeta.

Kurloz had reappeared then, ready to be a part if his daughter's life. However, his guilt was so great that Kurloz couldn't bring himself to say anything to Meulin, knowing she would never be able to hear him again. He'd taken up silence and sign language, and they'd bought an apartment together near his parents' house. Nepeta grew up in a silent Leijon-Makara household with loving parents and no voice but her own to echo in its depths.

"Hello, Tavros." Rose appeared suddenly, Nepeta mewing and waving behind her. Tavros jumped, not expecting the blonde so suddenly, and guiltily tore his eyes from where he was just staring blankly at the Music packet. Cripes, he wasn't even studying, Karkat would kill him if he wasn't currently- - -Tavros glanced discreetly- - -reading the Music packet aloud in a loud, sarcastic voice with expletives dropping between every alternative word.

"Good morning, Rose." Tavros smiled weakly at her, which prompted a minuscule upturn of her own lips. He relaxed some more around Kanaya's friend, turning to avoid Karkat see his lack of study. "How are you?"

"Oh, hey, Rose!" The blonde girl's attention was momentarily directed to John, and Nepeta pounced on her chance.

"Tavrrrrows, guess what?" Nepeta cut in excitedly, prompting Tavros to smile wider at the strange way Nepeta said his name. She loved making cat noises, something which stumped her teachers and made her friends laugh. It fit with her cat loving personality, though Karkat always pitched some sort of fit when she rubbed his hair and called him 'Karkitty'.

"What's up, Nep?" Tavros responded.

"Rose has tarot cards!" She purred in response. Rose looked away from John and held up the cards for proof.

"I was offering my services." She said monotonously. "Though Feferi seems to be the only one to take my readings seriously." Rose shuffled the cards slowly, her dark fingernails blending into the dark background of the cards. Her eyes, a strange lavender, met and held Tavros's brown compellingly. "Would you like me to read your tarot, Tavros?"

"Well, uh, I..." Tavros cast his eyes away with some difficulty, glancing around for help. Rose was nice, but she was more Kanaya's friend and she gave him the creeps. He tried to stay polite around her, but they only really spoke in passing.

"God dammit!" Karkat stomped over and pointed an accusing finger at Rose. "Lalonde, fuck off. Nitram needs to fucking study." Her eyes moved over to Karkat's, though she kept shuffling.

"As you wish." She replied softly, standing up. "Come, Nepeta, let us see what the cards will hold for Vriska and Kanaya." Nepeta pouted, but waved at Tavros and followed her easily.

Tavros watched them go for only a moment; Karkat's fist connected with his arm and he yelped, spinning around in his seat and staring at the fuming Vantas with wide brown eyes.

"Whoa, motherfucker, chill." Gamzee placed a firm hand on Karkat's shoulder; he seemed to be very averse to anyone picking on Tavros, even Vriska or Karkat, and always came to his rescue if he could. Tavros grinned at Gamzee thankfully.

"Chill my ass." Karkat snapped. He sniffed, shrugging off Gamzee's hand and crossing his arms. "Just fucking study, Nitram. We need you to fucking remember as much of this shit as you fucking can." He pointed at Tavros, his finger pressing against his nose gently. Tavros leaned back, staring at the offending appendage cross eyes. "Next time, just tell Lalonde to fuck off."

Tavros nodded quickly; Karkat seemed to accept the response he got and dragged Gamzee away to continue reading. Tavros watched them go and wondered, not for the first time, exactly what he had gotten himself into.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a challenge has been issued.

"All right, fuckasses, this is the moment we've all been fucking around for." Karkat stood in front of the whiteboard with his arms crossed and a dark look on his face. Sollux stopped teasing Eridan; Vriska shot a bored glance at the front of the room from where she was reading. The whole room was paying attention to the self proclaimed team leader, who stood with John and Dave by his side.

"We've officially been challenged to our first scrimmage of the year." Dave intoned. His shades hid his face as always, but Tavros noticed how his lips were pressed into a thin line when he finished speaking. John placed his hand on the blonde's arm, looking slightly worried, but Dave seemed to not notice the comforting gesture. Annoyance made his body stiff, even if it didn't show on his face. "The Alpha kids decided to mess with us."

"You mean the Alpha team from Prospit?" Feferi asked, her face scrunching slightly. Eridan bared his teeth, and even Nepeta made this weird hissing noise. "The private school?" Dave nodded once, curtly, and Feferi sank in her seat. She shared a glance with Eridan, who began looking miserable. Karkat watched the three stew in misery for a few minutes before snarling quietly and slamming his hand on the board.

"Something you assholes want to share with the fucking class?" Karkat snapped, looking at them all with irritation.

Feferi looked worried, biting her lip as she wrung her hands.

"Alpha team is one of the teams that have been around for quite some time." She said quietly when it became clear that nobody was going to speak up. "My older sister and Eridan's older cousin are on the team."

"My old furriend is on that team." Nepeta hissed again. The sound from her mouth sounded weird on the normally cheerful girl, and it more than anything made Tavros nervous. Nepeta looked furious, her face twisting slightly in anger. "Aradia Megido."

"Is that where she's gone?" Sollux cut in suddenly; his face was distorted as well, but he didn't seem too mad. Instead, there was a hurt look on his face and in his voice. Nepeta rounded on him, but her dark glare softened into something like pity when she saw the look on his face.

"As fascinating as this is," Vriska interrupted loudly before Nepeta could speak, "what exactly happened to Megido after her suicide attempt isn't the most important thing." Sollux threw a pencil at her, his aim infinitely better than Karkat's; she just ducked it easily and the oncoming projectile flew over her head harmlessly. "What we should be asking is this." Vriska's eyes took a manic gleam, her fingers digging into the wood of her desk. Tavros uneasily remembered her comment about rubbing their competitor's faces in dirt when she was convincing him to join his first day. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure it was just an expression. "How long is 'quite some time'?" Vriska asked, leaning on her desk and smiling ferally. Feferi smiled back shakily, looking nervous because of the way Vriska was watching her.

"Well," she said slowly. "Meenah's been on the team since she was a freshman, and she's a senior now. And their coach, he had been on the team until he graduated about twenty years ago."

"Fuck." Karkat hit the wall before stomping up to the board. It sounded less like a 'we're totally screwed' fuck and more like 'oh shit I actually vaguely remember this'. He pulled the board with the team members and their sections toward him, drawing a line down the middle. On the side with their names, he wrote 'Alternia'; the other he titled 'Alpha'. "Just who's on this damn team this year?"

"Meenah and Cronus are in Honors." Feferi said apologetically. Karkat snarled as he wrote down their names, his writing messy and almost illegible.

"So's my bro. Dirk." Dave bit out. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the board, completely ignoring John's attempts to talk to him. Each word he spit out was sharp, like he was reciting them from memory and he wasn't happy he knew the information. "Some chick named Crocker- - -Jane, or some shit- - -she's a Varsity. A Lalonde and an English for Scholastic." His lip curled up just the slightest in disdain when everyone turned to look at him.

"How the hell do you know all this?" Equius asked in slight awe. Dave shrugged one shoulder.

"My bro likes to brag." Karkat was writing furiously, lining up each student across from a student in their own team and category. His grip on the marker made his knuckles white, but he wasn't loosening his grip.

"Where the fuck's Megido?" He snapped, writing her name under Jane's when Nepeta answered. "That's fucking seven. Fucking seven." He whirled around and pointed an accusing finger at Dave, Nepeta, Feferi, and Eridan. "You nook sniffers find out who the hell else is on the team. You either find out tomorrow or tell me now, or so help me dammit- - -"

"Jade Harley." Feferi said slowly, her tongue slipping between her lips. Karkat wrote her name down, not noticing Feferi gain a cautious look on her face. Her voice came slowly, as if she was unwilling to talk but less willing to keep the information to herself; at the same time, it didn't seem like she knew how to say what she wanted gently. "Another Varsity. And then- - -"

"I thought you'da known about this, Kar." Eridan cut across his stepsister, making her frown darkly at him. She pushed on his shoulder, and he swatted her hand away. Terezi's eyes were wide behind her bright red shades, seeming to understand Feferi's unease in that weird way of hers, and she began to wave her hands around in Ampora's general area to warn him off. He ignored her and stared intently at Karkat. "Y'know, 'cause a Kankri." Karkat froze.

Tavros looked around with wide eyes, curious when the name came up. He wanted to ask aloud who Kankri was, but held his tongue when he saw the general reactions of the room. Dave had paled considerably, and he took a giant step to the side away from where Karkat was standing; John was pushed over with him, but Egbert seemed too focused on Karkat's shaking body to complain about the treatment. Sollux groaned loudly and buried his face in his hands, and Vriska inhaled quickly through her teeth. Nepeta mewled quietly and wrapped herself around Equius, who placed a slightly trembling hand on her head and began sweating. Feferi was glaring heavily at Eridan, who began realizing that he had said the wrong thing entirely. He looked uncertain of himself, drawing close to his stepsister. Terezi had stopped waving and instead buried her face in her arms, hiding behind them like barriers.

"Um..." Tavros whispered, leaning over to poke at Gamzee's shoulder. Makara tiled his head back to look at Tavros, his smile widening when he caught sight of him. He seemed to be the only one unaffected by Kankri's name, despite his closeness with Karkat, and that made Tavros hope asking Gamzee would be ok. The silence reigned, proving to him that if Gamzee couldn't or wouldn't answer him, nobody else would be willing to talk about it.

"Hey, motherfucker." Gamzee's smooth voice came out in a whisper, as if he was aware of how deathly silent the classroom was. His voice betrayed no anxiety, though, and Tavros wondered if Gamzee really had been paying attention. "What's up?"

"Um, who's Kankri?" Instead of answering, Gamzee reached over and pulled Tavros around the desk. He slid off his chair as well, landing on the floor comfortably. They hid below desks, Gamzee moving Tavros so that the much smaller Nitram was snuggled into his side, and began playing with the edge of Tavros's mohawk. Tavros was about to ask again when Karkat's voice sounded loudly, and he peered over the desk to see what would happen.

"What the fuck?" Karkat exploded loudly and threw the marker at Eridan. He hadn't even turned, but somehow it still managed to hit Ampora in the face; apparently Karkat had better aim when he wasn't looking. Eridan yelped and moved to cover the spot he'd been hit. Karkat whirled around; fury decorated his face and he was shaking visibly.

"No, he just meant- - -" Feferi tried to intervene, but Karkat ignored her as he marched up to Eridan's desk.

"Listen here, fuckass." He snarled. His voice dropped as he got into Eridan's personal space, and for some reason that frightened Tavros much more than Karkat's yelling voice. He nestled deeper into Gamzee, the Makara responding by wrapping his arm around Tavros's shoulder.

"KK- - -" Sollux tried, reaching out around Eridan. Karkat slapped his hand away, spewing out profanities at such a low volume nobody aside from Eridan and most likely Feferi could hear.

"Hey, motherfucker." Gamzee's quiet voice caught Tavros's attention again; loathed as he was to do so, the small Varsity pulled his eyes away from Karkat and Eridan to look at Gamzee.

"What?"

"I've all up and forgotten what Karbro was saying." He whispered. "What the motherfuck was he writing all up and on our motherfucking board?"

"That's the Alpha team." Tavros explained. Somehow, Gamzee's in attention brought a shy smile to his face; Tavros's amusement leaked into his voice as he whispered back. "They've challenged us, uh, to a scrimmage? Um. Something like that."

"Motherfucking miracles." Gamzee breathed. His eyes sharpened a bit and he sat up straighter. Tavros squeaked as he did so, but Gamzee appeared not to notice. "They got some pretty miraculous shame globes, then, to come out and motherfucking challenge us all on their lonesome."

"Shame globes?" Tavros repeated curiously. Gamzee ignored him, standing straight up and not even reacting when he hit his head on the underside of the desk. Tavros squeaked again as he was pulled up with Gamzee.

"We've all up and got to find a way to motherfucking destroy these motherfuckers!" Gamzee attracted everyone's attention, even Karkat's, and they had all turned to watch as Gamzee lifted a fist in the air. His other arm was kept securely around Tavros, and the Nitram was doing his best to stay hidden while Gamzee spoke. His eyes began getting a slightly wild look. "I say we all best be getting our motherfucking study on."

"Sit the fuck down." Karkat snapped, pushing Eridan away and stomping to the front of the room. Dave took his chance and grabbed John, absconding to a seat by Gamzee and Tavros instead of their usual spot by Feferi. John waved at Tavros sheepishly, but Dave kept his poker face aimed straight at Karkat. "It's just an unofficial fucking scrimmage. It's not even anytime soon. According to Strider here, we still have two goddamn weeks to get our asses in gear."

"I say we all get our motherfucking study on at Kurloz's place." Gamzee continued, completely ignoring Karkat. Tavros wince apologetically when Vantas scowled; two weeks was a bit of time, but it was already October. They'd managed to get through pretty much everything, but they needed to study more to cement the information in. Gamzee's idea, while oddly worded, was exactly what they needed. "Fill that whole motherfucking place up with all our miraculous focus and mad reading skills."

"That's not pawsible just yet." Nepeta contradicted. Gamzee whirled around, taking Tavros with him still, and gave his niece a wounded expression. Nepeta shrugged, her face twisting a little apologetically.

"Aww, why not, lil kittysis?"

"Mama's remodeling." She said. "Just started. Our living room is already looking like the aftermewth of a hurricane." Gamzee visibly wilted, though he looked at Nepeta curiously.

"That why we've all up and got our motherfucking guest rooms all up and cleaned?" Nepeta nodded, smiling widely.

"Papa already sent a memo. We're staying ofurr until efurrything is finished." Nepeta smiled widely, and Gamzee smiled back at her.

"Bitchtits awesome." Gamzee pulled his hand down and reached into his pocket, pulling out his pill bottle and taking two out. He swallowed them dry, and sank down again as the pills took over. Tavros managed to move him into his seat, and Makara shot him a look that was mixed with surprise and gratefulness.

"So, um, where do we study?" Tavros asked. Gamzee's eyes clouded over slowly, and nobody seemed willing to offer a place. Tavros eyed everyone in the classroom, mentally checking to see how many people could fit in his house if he invited them over. He wasn't even sure who would come, really. There would be the team, of course; that was already nine. He didn't doubt that Feferi and Nepeta would come with them, as they seemed attached at the hip to their respective person. Terezi would probably find an excuse to stop by, and if Kanaya and Rose decided to show up as well, that would be fourteen people to worry about. Tavros could probably find a way to squeeze everyone in his house.

Then again, it was rather small; maybe a quarter of them could fit comfortably in the living room, and even less in his room. Not to mention having Rufio and his dad hovering over him and everyone else...

"We still have fucking time!" Karkat snapped from the front of the room, trying to regain everyone's attention. "Shut the hell up and let me plot out a fucking strategy!"

"You guys might as well come ofurr to Gamzee's place." Nepeta shot up, shooting an apologetic glance at Karkat when Vantas began spluttering angrily. Still, despite his half started sentences, Nepeta kept talking. "Evfurrybody's going to be there, and my mama can make some purrfectly delectable snacks!"

"Fine!" Karkat exploded, making Nepeta squeak and sit down again as well. Everybody watched as he wrote out Gamzee's address at the top of the whiteboard. "Fucking fine!" He turned around to face the classroom after underlining the address about five times. "Everybody write that shit down. We'll meet every Saturday at 12 to fucking study." He glowered at everyone, though Tavros was the only who shrank back from the dark glare. "And we will fucking study."

"Aye, aye, captain!" Vriska cheered dutifully for the team. Karkat twitched and glared, but turned back to the board. He wrote the date for the scrimmage in giant letters on top of the board: Saturday, October 23rd.

As he wrote, Tavros watched the team calm down. Confusion still littered his mind, but he was more afraid of what Karkat would say if he tried to bring it up again. Eridan and Feferi looked far too pale, though Feferi seemed to be recollecting herself better than her stepbrother. John and Dave had already pulled out their packets for Art and Music respectively, and effectively tuned out the rest of the class. Vriska was scribbling something down, though what it was, Tavros wasn't sure. Kanaya, who had come in while Karkat was hissing whatever it was at Eridan, seemed to sense that something wrong was said; she sat quietly besides Vriska and didn't say a word, merely pulled out a ball of yarn and began knitting quickly. Blinking and in a slight shock at Karkat's outburst, Tavros leaned down to dig in his bag for his Grapes of Wrath book. He'd been struggling with it, not able to get past the first three chapters or so. It bothered him a lot more than it should, because he usually was such an avid reader; for whatever reason, though, whenever he started Grapes of Wrath, he found himself zoning out.

Karkat appeared by his bag suddenly, and Tavros squeaked in shock. He shot up and stared up into Karkat's angry scowl.

"Nitram. Speech." Tavros winced again and pulled his speech out from his bag. Working on his speech first thing in the morning was not something he wanted to do, but with Karkat still annoyed about what had just happened, Tavros felt he had no choice but to comply with the self-proclaimed team leader. With a dejected sigh and a wistful look at the crumpled paper, the Nitram handed his speech to Karkat.

It was harder than he thought to write a speech. It took him way too long to decide on a topic, and then he had to keep adding to it because it was too short. His first three and a half minute speech just barely made the time. When he showed it to Karkat, Vantas took it upon himself to read it in front of the whole class. And despite having witten it all by himself after a painstaking two weeks, Tavros's speech was promptly declared 'too boring' and was rejected by the whole class. The second was written with the help of Feferi and Nepeta, who had taken enough pity on him that they decided to give him some ideas. It hadn't gone over much better than the first, but Karkat said that it was almost there before deciding that he would just help him himself. He'd given him ideas on what to write about and helped Tavros word certain things, but as it was barely finished the night before, Vantas hadn't had a chance to read it until now.

His eyes skimmed the paper quickly, making disgusted or disgruntled noises every couple of lines. Tavros winced at each noise, feeling his self confidence sink.

"It's not utter crap." Karkat snapped eventually, throwing the paper down in disgust. Tavros perked up a bit, though, grabbing at the paper once it hit his desk.

"Really?" Tavros asked excitedly. His eyes traced over the paper again, skimming his speech. He'd started writing about flying without realizing it, and added a lot about Faeries. Once he started writing about something he liked, the speech seemed to come a lot easier than before. Karkat had 'ok'ed it when Tavros first offered the idea, though now it seemed like he had second thoughts.

"It could be better." Vantas insisted stubbornly, crossing his arms. "I fucking know it. How the hell...?" He trailed off as Gamzee leaned back and pulled Tavros's speech to his desk. Tavros and Karkat shared a confused look before Tavros reached forward and touched the back of Gamzee's neck.

"Um, Gamzee...?" The Makara whirled around in his desk and shot him a dopey smile.

"This is bitchtits awesome!" He declared. Ignoring Tavros's squeak of shock, Gamzee thrust the speech under his nose and waved it enticingly. "You should all up and motherfucking preach to the dark carnival of fuckers we got round here."

"Dark carnival?" Karkat echoed with furrowed brows while Tavros squeaked out a shocked "what?" Gamzee's grin widened into a friendly shark's grin, reminding Tavros of Bruce in Finding Nemo.

"Yea, c'mon, brother." Gamzee shook the paper again. Tavros shook his head negatively, shooting a pleading look at Karkat for his help.

"That's...not a total fucking disaster of an idea." Karkat sounded stunned as he said so; Tavros felt his eyes widen when Karkat turned to look at him again. He shrank down, but it didn't prevent Vantas from latching onto his arm and hauling him up to the front of the class.

Almost immediately, all movement halted. Confusion varied on everyone's face as Karkat absconded, leaving Tavros alone in the front of the classroom. Tavros shook lightly, staring back at his teammates with wide, terrified eyes.

"We're fucking working on speeches today." Karkat stated loudly. "Nitram volunteered to be first." Eridan and John clapped encouragingly, though Vriska let out a snicker of disdain that she couldn't quite cover. Gamzee glared daggers at her, but as he was still out of it, his venomous gaze didn't affect her much. Dave, Sollux, Equius and Kanaya all turned to watch, but said nothing.

"You can do it, Tavros!" Feferi called. Tavros took a deep breath.

"Um," he started haltingly, trembling when Karkat shot him a dirty look. It sapped at his confidence, and he immediately glued his eyes to his speech. His eyes flew over the words, getting ahead of what he was saying and making him twist everything around. "Uh, th-there can be an, um, in-interesting fact about, um, about flying that I-I bet you wouldn't, uh, know." Tavros shifted nervously, clearing his throat and chewed on his lip. "F-Flying is no-not limited to- - -oh, no, um, flying ca-can, um, can be achieved by, uh, by plane, and also by, uh- - -"

"Oh, Jesus fuck, I can't stand this anymore!" Karkat howled, slamming his hands on the desk. Tavros jumped and hit the white board behind him. Vantas strode quickly around the desk that he was sitting in, a snarl twisting his face.

"Whoa, Karbro!" Gamzee struggled to follow him when Karkat grabbed Tavros's arm hard enough to make Tavros squeak out. Makara seemed trapped by the workings of his desk, unable to get out despite his best efforts. Vriska howled with laughter, though the rest of the team seemed a bit used to Gamzee's antics; nobody moved to help him, though, and so Karkat was free to tug Tavros to his heart's content. He ignored Gamzee's call, dragging Tavros to the door. Tavros shot the class a helpless look, pleading for help.

"You're fucking up, Ampora!" Karkat snapped over his shoulder.

"Eh..." Tavros stammered slightly, biting his lip when Eridan stood up and strode to the front of the room, pulling a paper from his pocket. Tavros gulped and tugged a bit on his arm. Karkat didn't relinquish it, and Tavros gave up just in case Karkat decided to hold on tighter. "Where, um, where are we going?"

Karkat turned suddenly, forcing Tavros to crash into him. Tavros flinched back, Karkat's scowl twitching slightly.

"You," he drawled loudly, "need to fucking learn how to talk." Tavros whined a bit when Karkat whirled around and started dragging him again, holding tightly to his speech with one hand. He could hear Karkat muttering about how useless he was, unable to say one stupid speech in front of his teammates.

He wondered briefly if he was going to get out of this alive.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which studying ensues.

Saturday came surprisingly quickly.

Tavros stood in the shadow of Gamzee's house, staring up at the building in slight awe. It was much bigger than he anticipated it being, despite seeing the address and knowing it was in the richer area of town. It was at least three stories high, though Tavros wasn't sure if there was an attic or the third story was just another floor of rooms. And there was most likely a basement as well, which meant Tavros was going to keep his phone on him lest he accidentally get lost.

"Tavbro!" Gamzee's voice came from the doorway. Tavros checked in again and smiled shyly, clutching at the strap on his messenger bag.

"Hey, Gamzee." He called back, forcing himself to take a few steps forward. Makara loped forward easily, wrapping his arms tightly around Tavros and lifting him up off the ground like he always did. Tavros felt a genuine smile break on his face and he patted Gamzee's back; before he'd even managed to step into the house, his friend had already calmed his fears with his familiar gestures.

"What's up, best motherfucker?" Gamzee asked as he put Tavros down. Tavros opened his mouth to answer, but Gamzee's gaze slid from him to a spot just behind him. Makara waved enthusiastically, while Tavros turned to see who'd arrived behind him.

"Oh, hey, um, Nepeta!" Tavros waved and smiled warmly at the Leijon he was familiar with; in response, Nepeta bound up to him and rubbed her face against his, greeting him as warmly as she could with her arms full.

"Mama, this is Tavrrrrows!" Nepeta pulled away long enough to turn and yell at her mother. She had several paper bags in her arms, and she didn't seem to notice when a box of pasta almost fell out of the bag; Gamzee reached out easily and caught it, placing it back in the bag without Nepeta realizing it. Tavros looked around his friend sheepishly to wave at the other woman with only one of her arms full.

"Uh, hello." He murmured.

Meulin looked like Nepeta, almost exactly. Tavros instantly picked out all the similarities between his friend and her mother, though she looked young enough to be an older sister rather than a mother. Where Nepeta's dark hair was cropped around her face, Meulin's was long and wavy, falling down her back in gentle waves. She shared her daughter's bright olive eyes, though they were worn down slightly by life. Meulin Leijon was a few inches taller than Nepeta, her body a bit curvier, and her face a flurry of gentle emotions that made her entire being softer than her daughter's.

Her free hand was moving quickly as she communicated with her daughter; though Tavros knew a bit of sign language, he only knew the alphabet and Meulin was speaking too fast to follow.

"Mama wants to know how you know Gamzee." Nepeta translated between giggles. Tavros opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of a window opening made them all turn again and look up; Karkat was squished up against Equius, who was leaning out of the window. Zahhk was sweating profusely, a sure sign that he was nervous and slightly uncomfortable, and though Karkat had wedged himself against him, Vantas looked more pissed off than usual.

"God damn it, Gamzee, get your ass up here!" His dark eyes zeroed in on Tavros and they narrowed. Almost without thinking, Karkat's lip curled in annoyance. "You too, Nitram, we don't have all fucking day!"

"Nepeta, perhaps you should hurry up a bit?" Equius called over Karkat. He tugged at his collar nervously, managing to elbow Karkat in the eye. The already enraged Varsity student let out a loud, long string of curses, ducking out of the window. His voice was still audible outside, damning the Scholastic to hell and back; Equius's face switched from nervous to pure, unadulterated horror. He ducked out of the window, and his voice joined Karkat's as he attempted to get his apologies heard.

"I, uh, I take it everyone is already here?" Tavros asked quietly. Nepeta and Gamzee both beamed at him, Gamzee a second late, while Nepeta giggled brightly and bounded ahead of them.

"Yep!" She called back as she moved. "Eridan and Fefurri don't live too far from here, and Karkitty spent the night last night too." Nepeta shot a friendly smile to Tavros as soon as she reached the door. "Equius and Vriskers got here about twenty minutes ago, though." She seemed to realize that everyone being on the second floor meant that no one was going to answer the door for them. "Hey!" She screamed loudly, kicking the door with vigor to get someone's attention.

"Come on, my main motherfucker." Gamzee drawled lazily, wrapping a secure arm around Tavros. "We'd best be up and getting our think pans full of all sorts of miraculous thoughts." Meulin fell into step beside them as they walked up the pathway, signing at Gamzee. Makara frowned slightly for a second before grinning widely, though he made no move to translate for Tavros.

"Um, I joined the AcaDec team this year." Tavros stammered slightly, trying to answer Meulin's earlier question. He was busy staring at his feet, but he stopped when nimble fingers lifted his head slightly. Gamzee nodded over at Meulin, who hadn't even looked at Tavros.

"Bitch can't hear a motherfucking thing." Gamzee reminded Tavros. A dark flush warmed Tavros's ears, and he buried his face in his hands. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten such a crucial thing, especially since he'd just watched Meulin signing. Gamzee laughed loudly and ruffled his mohawk, coming to a stop in front of Tavros. A few steps away, Meulin turned as well, suddenly aware she was walking alone and curious for the reason behind it.

"Can, um, can she...?" Tavros swallowed heavily. "Y'know, like read lips?"

"You mean the miraculous thing where she can read what you say without motherfucking hands?" Gamzee's face lit up. "Sure, she got all kinds of miraculous motherfucking tricks up her skin hiding shit." Tavros frowned in confusion, but Karkat's voice coming from the window again had them both rushing to catch up with Nepeta's mother; he didn't have a chance to try and decipher Gamzee-speak.

The trio caught up with Nepeta, who was still abusing the door in hopes of getting it open. Tavros was about to open his mouth and ask her to maybe move aside so her mother could open the door; Meulin was already pulling her keys from her pocket with her free hand, but the door opened abruptly. Nepeta nearly lost balance, her foot still swinging. She couldn't stop in time, and her foot connected with someone moments before the rest of her body followed.

Nepeta squeaked as she fell forward, but her descent was stopped by bony hands on her shoulders. A thin male stood in the doorway, his brow arched as he steadied Nepeta. Once he was sure she wasn't going to fall, he reached down and rubbed slightly at his knee where she kicked him.

"Sorry, Papa!" She raced past him into the house, and he watched her go with an amused smile on his face before he turned again.

It was almost like looking at an older Gamzee, and the thought gave Tavros the courage to smile uncertainly at Kurloz Makara. He had the same indigo-tinted eyes as Gamzee, though his eyes were sharper and more focused, his hair just as long and wild. It was pulled away from his face in a messy low ponytail, and his face was covered in the same white face paint Gamzee always wore. The make up was skeletal around his eyes, lines drawn in black in a sloppy mimic of stitches on his mouth.

Meulin entered past him first, smiling brightly at him when he leaned forward and pressed a careful kiss against her cheek. He smiled back uncertainly at her as she skipped past him after Nepeta; the smile faded away when he turned back to Tavros and Gamzee.

"What's up, motherfucker?" Gamzee grinned back, pushing past Kurloz as well. He dragged Tavros with him, though his grip was much gentler on his arm than Karkat's had been earlier that week. Tavros didn't mind his grip on his arm, staying as close to Gamzee as he could. "This is my bro Tavros. We're all up and doing some motherfucking miraculous readings upstairs." Kurloz nodded at them, closing the door behind them as Gamzee tugged him up the stairs.

Tavros did his best to look around while he was pulled. The house was just as dauntingly refurbished on the inside as it was on the outside, with spotless walls and lots of dark doors. The stairway Gamzee dragged him up was just to the side of the front door, Meulin and Nepeta disappearing down a slightly darkened hallway to the left. The hallway the stairs opened up to was wide and bright, with dark wood floors that matched the banister on the stairs. There were six or seven rooms on the second floor, with one door leading to what must have been a closet and another a bathroom. A table and chair lined the hallway between each door, small and circular. Some held a case with flowers; others were bare, under elegant paintings of Gamzee and Kurloz as kids, or under an intimidating figure that was probably their father. Gamzee didn't bother pointing out anything, other than a couple of bathrooms on the first and second floor, the room where Kurloz and Meulin were staying in until their remodeling was done, and Nepeta's room.

"Why does Nepeta, um, have her own room here?" Tavros asked. Gamzee twisted around a bit, showing off a blinding grin. Tavros felt his heart stutter a bit at the sight, but he pushed it away.

"My miraculous little kittysis is over so motherfucking much, the room's all up and made for her and her only." He explained. "Karbro's always fucking over too, but he just all up and gets his snooze on in my room."

"Where, uh, where is your room?" Tavros asked, peering around the second floor. It looked like it had several guest rooms, but all the doors were painted the same shade of indigo; he couldn't even remember where the bathroom was.

"Right up there, motherfucker!" Gamzee pointed cheerfully at the stairs at the other end of the hallway. They were surprisingly less refurbished, the wood appearing a bit more worn and a shade or two lighter from the rest of the house. "Motherfucking attic is my motherfucking private space." The taller boy loped back a bit and wrapped his arm around Tavros's shoulder, grinning down at him. "Maybe I'll all up and show you later, once we've all gotten done with this miraculous reading shit Karbro wants done." He said it enticingly, and Tavros felt his smile waver just a bit.

"S-sure." He agreed softly, feeling as though he was agreeing to something much more than just seeing the Makara's room. Gamzee beamed at him, looking much happier than Tavros thought he should be; before he could question it, Gamzee strode over to the door, taking Tavros with him, and threw it open.

"Let's get it all up and started, motherfuckers!" Gamzee burst out, pulling Tavros behind him. The smaller Varsity student waved at everyone, noting that besides him, there were only eight other people in the room.

"Where's, uh, Feferi?" He asked Eridan as he was pulled past the Honors student and Sollux, their usual third musketeer missing.

"Ask Kar." He muttered sullenly, not looking up. Sollux rolled his eyes, shoving his shoulder into Eridan hard enough to knock the Honors student off to the side. Eridan slammed on the floor, his arm shooting out at the last minute, causing papers to fly around him. The group snickered, and even Tavros worked hard to suppress a small smile, but Eridan glowered darkly at Sollux. "The fuck, Captor?" He snapped.

"Stop moping and just fucking study." Sollux shot back. "The sooner you finish, the sooner KK will let you go home to your beloved girlfriend. "

"That's just disgustin', Sol, the hell's a matter with ya?" Eridan bit out at the same time Vriska made an over exaggerated gagging noise. Eridan sneered at her, a dark flush crossing his face. "An not one w-word outta you, V-Vris, cause you know-w I'll play just as dirty as you."

"Oh, please, Ampora." Vriska bit back sharply, tossing her braided hair over her shoulder with a simple flick of her hand. She was balanced on a taped box across from Eridan and Sollux, her packet in one hand while she leaned back on the other. On the other side, her fingernails made a rhythmic tapping noise. "Everyone here knows- - -ah, shit!" Her hand slipped and Vriska tumbled back, falling off the box with a loud crash.

Everyone burst out laughing, even Eridan and Gamzee, but Tavros felt his brow furrow in worry. Vriska hated being embarrassed, and when she was caught, she got violent.

Sure enough, Serket launched herself over the box, reappearing so suddenly nobody had time to move. She crash landed on Eridan, who let out all his breath in a sharp whoosh at the sudden weight, and socked him across the face. He let out a yelp and fell to the side, away from Sollux, with Vriska still on top of him. Though he struggled to get away, Eridan didn't punch her back; most likely because, even fighting, he was mindful of the damage he could cause with the many rings that always littered his fingers.

"Whoa!" Sollux yelled, throwing himself on top of Vriska to grab her arms when it became obvious Eridan wasn't going to do too much in terms of fighting back. He tried valiantly to hold her back, but after the third time he got elbowed in the eye, Sollux resorted to calling for help.

"What the fuck?" Karkat roared at the same time, snagging on the collar of Eridan's jacket and trying to pull him away. Serket followed Ampora as he was pulled, the two thrashing around as they fought. Eridan let out a yelp when Vriska punched him again, followed by a shriek from Serket when Ampora managed to get her wrist in his mouth and bite down.

Karkat and Sollux both quickly realized they couldn't control the fighting, and looked around for help until Equius appeared out of nowhere. He picked up Eridan in one hand and grabbed Vriska by her waist with the other, pulling them apart easily. He passed Eridan to Sollux, who dragged him back to where they were sitting with a dark glare at Vriska. Serket tried to lunge at Eridan again, but Equius kept a firm hold on her waist as he marched over to where he had been sitting alone. Retaking his seat, Equius sat Vriska down in his lap. She twisted around, scratching and biting, trying to force him to free her, but Zahhk wouldn't budge. He ignored her movements, though he was sweating profusely once again.

"Whoa." Gamzee said, breaking the tenseness that had fallen around the group. He hadn't moved from his spot by the window, holding onto Tavros from behind as if the shorter Varsity had been a lifeline. Tavros felt Gamzee's breath in his hair, and hoped that the Honors student wasn't getting any face paint in the mohawk even as he wondered when Gamzee began holding him the way he was.

"Um, that was, dramatic." He sniffed, trying subtly to work his way out from Gamzee. The Makara's arms tightened around his waist only briefly before allowing Tavros to abscond away. The Nitram smiled reassuringly before sitting right next to Gamzee's legs.

"Seriously, what the fuck guys?" Karkat snapped loudly as Makara plopped to the floor. "We're supposed to be fucking studying."

"Next time you won't be so lucky, Ampora!" Vriska snarled, moving to go after Eridan again. Eridan bared his teeth at her in response, but stayed huddled by Sollux when Captor wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him warningly. Blood was already gathering from his nose, as well as dripping down Vriska's arm where he bit her.

"Enough, Serket." Equius responded as well, tightening his grip on her. Vriska settled with a dark glower, daring any of them to say anything.

"So." Dave coughed mockingly, drawing attention to him as he waved a packet in the air. "We gonna get any studying done, or can John and I just take off like the awesome dorkiness that we are together?"

"We're gonna fucking study!" Karkat howled furiously. Dave snorted and John rolled his eyes, but their usual responses to Vantas's anger only made him more furious. "Don't you fucking move, Strider. Don't you dare!"

"We've got snacks!" Nepeta crowed, appearing out of nowhere with a plate of steaming cookies and a bowl of chips. She had kicked in the door, a bag swinging and clinking ominously on her arm. Meulin entered the room much slower than her daughter, smiling and holding another bowl of chips. The younger Leijon stopped short, looking around in confusion at the situational positioning in the room.

"Fucking finally!" Sollux breathed, reaching toward the cookies until Eridan poked his side harshly. He recoiled with a wince.

"What the?" Nepeta frowned in disappointment. "Where's Fefurri?" The whole group groaned again, Eridan's head falling on top of Sollux's shoulders.

"She's not fucking here!" Karkat growled, his hands clenching on the paper and crinkling it up. Nepeta made a playful face at him, sticking out her tongue.

"I see that Karkitty." She shot back. "I mew she said she was coming. Why didn't she stay ofur?"

"Kar wouldn't let her." Eridan grumbled sulkily. Sollux rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulder, making Ampora's head bounce.

"And the sooner we study, the sooner you can have her pick you up to go do whatever you guys do together." He sighed, as if he'd said it far too many times already. "So let's get this over with."

"Can I help?" Nepeta bounced around, dropping chips from the bowl as she plopped it down and grabbed the other one from her mother. As she settled the snacks and what turned out to be an assortment of drinks on the floor, Sollux and Dave dove for the food; everyone followed soon after, save Tavros, Vriska, and Karkat.

"No!" Karkat yelled, being too busy fighting with Nepeta to focus on the snacks. "If I didn't let fucking Feferi stay, there's no way in hell you're staying either!"

"I am staying!" Nepeta stomped her foot.

"Only because you're Gamzee's fucking niece and you're living here right now anyway!" Karkat stomped up to her and picked her up easily; Nepeta mewled and struggled, her mother snickering silently in the doorway. "If not, you wouldn't fucking be here! Now fuck off, dammit!" He dropped her by Meulin, who bent down and picked her up by her arm. With a wave, Meulin dragged Nepeta out while signing quickly. Nepeta turned and stuck her tongue out at Karkat, who responded by slamming the door shut.

"You sure you don't wanna just ditch studying and go have a hate date with your pitch crush?" Vriska taunted Vantas as he stomped back. Karkat flipped his middle finger at her, ignoring her as he plopped on the other side of Gamzee. Makara responded by wrapping an arm around Tavros and Karkat, smiling blankly at the ceiling as he chewed on several cookies.

"Now." Karkat shuffled a couple of papers around and picked up one of the packets. "We'll start with fucking science."

"Fucking science is right." Sollux groaned, falling back. He had chip crumbs on his mouth, though he didn't seem to notice. Eridan did, though; the Honors student reached over and gently wiped the crumbs away, making Sollux's lips quirk in a thankful smirk. Tavros watched the two boys with a slight frown but hope blooming in his chest; Eridan had confided in him about having some pretty intense feelings for Sollux, though he hadn't been sure if he really hated Captor or just liked him intensely. It seemed like he was making an effort to find out, and Sollux didn't seem to mind the advances. "Who the hell gives a fuck about geology?"

"Stop whining." John said, his voice chipper. He was already halfway through the packet, having been reading it while everything had gone on around him. A small pile of cookies was by his knee, Dave having placed them there for the trickster while obtaining his food. "Geology isn't too bad, you just need to- - -"

"John, no." Dave cut in blankly, placing a hand over his boyfriend's mouth. John gave him an affronted look as he was shut up, but the Strider shook his head. "No, John, no. Just no."

"C'mon, Dave- - -" John whined, but each move of his head brought Strider's hand with it.

"No." He repeated firmly. John gave up, staring at his boyfriend with accusing blue eyes. Dave kept his hand on John's mouth a moment more before pulling it away, certain his boyfriend would take the hint and stay quiet.

"But why?" Egbert whined almost as soon as he could. The team groaned and Dave dropped his head to rest on his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Because, Egbert," he said as patiently as he could, "geology fucking sucks. It's almost as boring as one of your goddamned rom coms, and just as bad as Con Air, all right? Like, Con Air can't even look at geology without wincing and comparing its total assfuckery to the godawful acting in that damned movie."

"Hey!" Karkat and John yelled at the same time, having both of their movie genres shot down in one sentence. Dave shrugged a shoulder, not moving.

"It's fucking boring as hell." He stated. "Just like a Nic Cage movie."

"I'll have you know- - -" John started; Karkat recognized the on coming battle and waved his hands around in an attempt to prevent it.

"Anyway!" Karkat yelled loudly, gaining everyone's attention once again. "We've gotta fucking start. Take your damn notes, assholes." He cleared his throat while the rest of the team grumbled but moved to do as he said. Once everyone was situated- - -Vriska was seated on the box again, carefully not leaning back just in case she fell again and looking absolutely disgusted at having to put up with Equius's sweating so personally, Eridan and Sollux were huddled together as far from Vriska as possible, Dave had John leaning against his chest, Equius was seated as far from the group as possible (he was still shooting ignored apologetic looks at Karkat and seemed to have self-exiled himself until he was sure he had forgiveness), Tavros was sitting next to Gamzee by the window with Makara's arm loose around his shoulder- - -Karkat sniffed once before reading the introduction to geology.

Tavros tried to pay attention, he really did; he knew how important it was to remember the stuff they were being tested on, but Sollux and Dave were right: geology was so boring! Karkat actually had a soothing reading voice, though it was loud and mixed with expletives; mixed with the content of the packet and Gamzee's body heat from his side, Tavros felt himself nodding off. His head dropped until it hit Gamzee's shoulder, making Makara freeze just slightly before shifting a bit and wrapping his arm more firmly around Tavros's shoulder. The movement engulfed Tavros in warmth; lulled by Gamzee's warmth and Karkat's soothing voice, the Varsity fell asleep.

A click brought Tavros out of his sleep, and he tried to use his hand to push himself up; it had fallen asleep at some point, though, and Tavros's helping hand instead plunged the boy face first to the ground. His resulting yelp made Gamzee jump next to him, and the Makara was instantly hovering over him.

"You all right, Tavbro?" He asked, his voice heavy and thick from sleep. Clearing his throat, Gamzee tried again. His voice came out more natural sounding, though the thickness didn't go away. "You ok motherfucker?"

"Fine." Tavros sighed, managing to get his other arm around and pick himself off of the ground. Rubbing his eye with his slowly-waking appendage, Tavros glanced at the window and nearly jumped out of his skin. "O-Oh, god, is it that, um, late already?" Gamzee looked confused for a moment before turning and looking out of the same window.

Stars twinkled down at them, the moon half full and rising in the sky. The room was dark, only a light in the corner lighting up the room with ambient lighting. It was also strangely silent, soda cans still littering the floor where people had been sitting. The plate and bowls were gone, though, and Tavros wondered what time it was to have gotten so dark.

"It's only fucking seven." Karkat snapped, causing both boys to whip their heads around guiltily. Karkat was standing by the door and Nepeta stood in the middle of the room; Vantas's arms were crossed and he was glowering darkly at the two, showing how pissed off he really was as he leaned against the doorframe. Tavros cowered slightly, afraid of Karkar's anger and what he would do to them.

"Efurrybody has already gone home." Nepeta added when it became clear Karkat wasn't going to be saying anything more. There was a camera in her hand, and she looked slightly disappointed behind her smile. "Though Equius's dad just picked him up."

"Wow." Tavros winced as he stood up, patting his pockets in search of his phone. "I, uh, I didn't realize it was so late. Should I, um- - -"

"Stay fur dinner!" Nepeta beamed widely, pocketing the camera and grabbing Tavros's hands to stop him. He stared at her with wide eyes, and Nepeta shook his hands with excitement. "It'll be fun! Gamzee doesn't mind, right?"

"Nah, bro, shit's cool." Gamzee sounded as bewildered as Tavros felt, though there was an undercurrent of something rough still in his voice. Nepeta's excitement waned a bit and she looked over at Gamzee curiously, Karkat snorting and disappearing from the doorway.

"Gam?" Nepeta purred, concern in her voice. Her eyes widened and she darted away from Tavros, getting only as far as the door when Karkat appeared again.

"Here, idiot." Karkat tossed a white pill bottle, and Tavros watched as it sailed into the room and right into Gamzee's outstretched hand. Frowning just a bit, Tavros watched as he opened the bottle neatly and poured out a couple of pills, downing them dry.

"Now." Gamzee grinned at them blearily after a tense moment of silence. "You were up and saying something about food, kittysis?"

Nepeta beamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with the Makara-Leijons.

Dinner was an awkward affair.

It started with a phone call, something that should have been quick and simple. It hadn't been for one single purpose: Rufio Nitram. Rufio had been in a panicked state when Tavros finally remembered to call. He was ready to drive over and demand the return of his little brother as if Tavros had been kidnapped instead of just hanging out at a friend's house. He felt guilty for making Rufio worry, almost enough to agree with his brother and go home, but a quick glance at Gamzee'd hopeful face gave Tavros courage to fight to stay a little longer. It took the younger Nitram almost ten minutes to convince his brother that it wasn't a good idea to do such a thing, but it wasn't until Nepeta stole the phone away that he managed to get anywhere. She'd even convinced Rufio to let Tavros stay for dinner, though how, the Varsity student wasn't exactly sure.

The four of them rushed down to the dining hall after that, Gamzee's hand leading Tavros once again down the long hallway and the stairs. Nepeta tagged Karkat and declared him 'it', prompting Vantas to chase after her recklessly. She slid down the banister of the stairs easily in quick, practiced movements; Karkat tried to imitate her, but slipped off the rail and nearly face planted on the steps. Gamzee pulled to a stop by the fallen boy, Tavros with him, but Karkat leapt to his feet with an enraged howl. He pounded down the stairs after Nepeta's giggling, Gamzee tugging Tavros with him again.

They slowed to a walk once they hit the bottom of the stairs. It had less to do with Tavros's very present concern of bodily injury and physical harm to the objects in the house, and more to do with the loud crashing and Karkat's furious voice from what Tavros assumed was the dining room.

Tavros and Gamzee sauntered in, hiding snickers when Karkat was found glaring at Nepeta, the Leijon beaming back, as Vantas was pushed into a seat by Meulin. Nepeta encouraged them to sit down as well, though Tavros wasn't sure where he was allowed to sit. He opted to stand by the table and watch as everyone else took their seats first.

Meulin and Kurloz sat across from each other, the head of the long table left empty for the owner of the house. Nepeta sat by her mother, Karkat on her left side scowling darkly. Uncertainly, Tavros allowed himself to be lead to his seat, which was one space away from Kurloz and to the left of Gamzee; it put him directly across from Karkat and his fierce scowl. The table wasn't too long, having room for maybe two more people to sit on Tavros's free side. It was made from presumably the same dark wood as the floor and the banister, with six placemats and plates. Food was placed in front of them by Meulin, serving utensils on the sides and steam rising from the food. Tavros closed his eyes and inhale deeply, taking in the smell of a home cooked meal as Nepeta grabbed hold of the silver cart by her mother's chair and pushed it against the wall.

Meulin reached out once everyone was seated once again, taking Nepeta's hand in her left and Kurloz's hand from across the table. Nepeta took Karkat's slyly, intertwining their fingers against Vantas's will; Karkat grumbled but allowed it, reaching over and grabbing Tavros's hand in a bruising grip. He winced at the treatment, though Tavros gave a shy smile to Gamzee when the youngest Makara took his hand gently.

What followed was the quietest prayer Tavros had ever been a part of. He'd glanced up a couple of times to see Meulin mouthing words, probably following along with whatever Kurloz was saying, but nobody offered any actual words to tell him what they were saying. Nepeta looked solemn and serious for once, her eyes closed. Even Karkat looked peaceful, though a hint of a frown still decorated his features; his grip on Tavros's hand loosened significantly, though the Nitram could see how it tightened on Nepeta's.

"And also," Gamzee's voice broke through the quiet, and Tavros jumped a bit in his seat. The younger Makara squeezed his hand comfortingly, and continued his sudden interruption. "Thank the messiahs for my two favoritest motherfuckers all up and joining in on our most miraculous meals."

Meulin pulled both Nepeta and Kurloz's hands to her mouth, pressing kisses to them both before releasing them with a clap. Smiling as widely as her daughter, the older Leijon stood and began piling food on Kurloz's plate. Nepeta did the same, fighting playfully with Gamzee over the mashed potatoes in front of them. Tavros reached for the green beans in front of him, wincing back when Karkat beat him to the serving utensil. Smirking victoriously at his team mate, Karkat began serving himself.

"Here, motherfucker." Gamzee's voice breathed in his ear, and Tavros jumped back. The chair squealed against the floor in protest, making everyone turn to watch Gamzee begin piling mashed potatoes on his plate. Gamzee didn't seem to notice, telling Tavros to let him know when to stop; Tavros saw a calculating look come from Kurloz, though, and it brought a dark flush to his cheeks that he couldn't get rid of.

Once everyone had been served to their satisfaction- - -and Tavros convinced Gamzee not to pile the equivalent of a small mountain on his plate- - -the table went quiet again. Tavros was surprised at how good everything tasted, and couldn't help wishing that he'd allowed Gamzee to serve him a little more. He hadn't had a home cooked meal like this in ages; his father worked hard to make sure they had a roof over their heads and Rufio, as good of a big brother as he was, a chef he was not.

He was interrupted by a foot connecting with his leg, and Tavros bit back a yelp by stuffing a mix of green beans and mashed potatoes in his mouth. Nepeta looked over curiously, her right hand poised in midair mid-sign. Meulin leaned down to peer from under Nepeta's hand.

"This is delicious." Tavros smiled widely, ignoring Karkat's snickers. He shot Vantas a weak glare, to which Karkat shrugged in a mocking apology. Licking his lips, the Nitram focused on enunciating his words so that Nepeta's mother could understand him even from across the table. As if to be safe, he noticed Nepeta's hand translating for him. He batted Gamzee's insistent hand away from his side. "Did you make the meal, Miss Meulin?"

The woman laughed, breathy sounds falling from her mouth. The only way Tavros knew she was laughing was the smile on her face. Despite her laughter, Meulin gathered herself and made a motion that included Nepeta and Kurloz.

"O-oh." Tavros gulped lightly. Even without Nepeta translating, he understood; the food was the combined efforts of both Leijon women and Kurloz Makara. It made him nervous in reasons he couldn't explain, though it was most likely the unnerving way Kurloz stared at him with the same indigo eyes as Gamzee; his gaze was clear and calculating in ways that Gamzee's wasn't, and Tavros couldn't help but be on his guard around the older Makara. "It is very good. I wasn't aware you all, um, cooked."

"It's a family thing." Nepeta said before her mother could move. "It purrings us closer togefurr and we make a good meal. Mama even made the potatoes from kitty-scratch!"

"Motherfucking miracles, ain't it?" Gamzee laughed at Tavros's astonished face. Kurloz rolled his eyes and put his hand up; what he signed seemed to be for Gamzee's eyes alone, as he was blocking his hand from Nepeta and Meulin's view. Gamzee honked with laughter, prompting questions from the rest of the table that went unanswered. Kurloz pursed his lips, a proud smirk breaking through the white face paint.

"Wow!" He exclaimed, digging in with just a bit more vigor. It brought Gamzee's attention back to Tavros, though the Nitram was still talking to Meulin. The Leijon woman beamed with pride as well, her features lighting up at the read compliment. "That's amazing!"

"That's my mama!" Nepeta beamed proudly as well. She reached over and tugged on a lock of her mother's long hair, shooting a wide smile at her father. "If it was still acceptable, my mama would be the one to hunt and kill the meat, and my papa would be the one to help prepurr it to eat!"

"That's, uh, so cool!" Tavros let out a slight laugh. And then, without even taking a second to pause or think, he said "it's amazing that, um, even though you all communicate, differently, uh, which could cause, so many issues, um, while you're all working, but you can still cook so well!" There was a brief moment of silence as what he said sank in.

Then Tavros froze, flushing crimson from his neck up to his forehead. Since he had been looking down, Meulin hadn't caught what he'd said; the older Leijon was staring quizzically around the table, silently asking someone to translate for her. Nepeta frowned, ignoring the tugging on her sleeve as she tried to figure out how to tell her mother.

Karkat's foot swung out again and kicked his shin, less accidentally and more on purpose this time. Gamzee didn't seem to understand what he said, because he ruffled Tavros's hair fondly with his hand and smiled brightly at him. Nepeta laughed, though, easily translating to her mother against her father's wishes; Kurloz gave Tavros a venomous look, though, trying futilely to grab at Nepeta's hands from across the table before she finished.

Meulin brushed off his comment with another breathy laugh and fluid motions.

"My mama says," Nepeta translated importantly, "that she is deaf and not blind. Cooking is absolutely no purrblem for her." She batted away Kurloz's hands, still laughing. "She's not offended, Tavrrrrows."

Despite her reassurances, Tavros still felt uneasy. There was a feeling of shame welling up in his gut. His father and brother surely taught him to think before he spoke; he was never so rude, not like that! How could he blatantly point out something like that so carelessly? It wasn't like him, not at all.

Kurloz stood and moved around the table, placing his hand heavily on Tavros's shoulder. Gamzee looked curiously at his older brother, whose grip tightened on Tavros's shoulder. The Nitram winced as he felt bruises begin forming underneath the older Makara's harsh grip.

"What's up, motherfucker?" Gamzee asked; the whole table was watching them, curious as to what Kurloz was doing. Tavros smiled shakily to reassure Nepeta and Gamzee, though he was sure that they were seeing the discomfort on his face.

"Oi, Kurloz." Karkat was the one to pipe up, his brows furrowed. He was watching carefully, eyes twitching between the two as he watched discomfort play out over Tavros's face and quiet rage cover Kurloz's body. "It was just a stupid comment. Lay off him, all right?" Tavros winced again as Kurloz's fingers tightened impossibly before releasing suddenly. Blood rushed to his shoulder, and Tavros felt tears spring to his eyes. Karkat was staring at him, something looking similar to concern etching his features, but it was pushed out of Tavros's mind when Gamzee took his face in his hands.

"Whatsa matter, Tavbro?" He questioned worriedly. "You've all up and got salty shit in your seeing globes. Everything motherfucking miracles?" His fingers brushed continually under Tavros's eyes, which made some of the tears leak out and fall down his cheek. He barely registered Kurloz leaving and retaking his seat on the other side of Gamzee, or Meulin and Nepeta telling the older Makara off in sign. All Tavros could see was Gamzee's dazed, worried face; all he could hear was the younger Makara's voice, reassuring him and questioning him in the same breath. Gamzee's warm hands on his face was all that he could feel, and Tavros felt his heart catch in his throat at the gentleness that Gamzee provided him.

"I'm fine." He whispered shakily. Gamzee didn't look convinced, but he released Tavros's face with a thoughtful honk. Tavros waited until all the attention was off of him before letting his shoulders fall from their tense position. Letting out a quiet sigh, Tavros pulled out his phone, careful to keep it under the table, and sent his brother a quick text. Replacing his phone, Tavros resumed eating his meal. It was quiet around the table again, for a different reason: Karkat was studying Tavros curiously, Gamzee was shooting him hazy concerned glances, and Nepeta and Meulin were berating Kurloz. It was awkward and Tavros wanted nothing more than to get away.

After a tense ten minutes during which all the food was eaten, a loud knock resounded from the hall. It brought a sigh of relief from Tavros, even as Meulin started when Nepeta suddenly grabbed a hold of her arm. She rose gracefully, shooting a sharp glare at Kurloz, her hand making quick and tense movements as she instructed him to stay seated. Smiling confusedly at Nepeta and asking quickly if she was expecting someone, Meulin went down the hall to open the door.

"Hello, my name is Rufio." Rufio's voice came from the hallway, sounding just a bit uncertain. Tavros felt a smile cross his face at the familiar voice. "I'm here to pick up my brother. Is…is this the right house?"

Meulin reappeared, pushing a slightly confused Rufio into the dining hall.

"This is Tavrrrrows's older brother Rufio!" Nepeta translated for her mother. Meulin kept sending worried looks at Tavros as she spoke, unbeknownst to her daughter. "Here to pick up…oh, no!" She turned around and shot a pouty look at Tavros, looking utterly concerned and completely baffled. Not caring much about decorum, Nepeta leaped over her plate of food and landed on the table in front of Tavros. Her feet were covered in bright blue socks, but she managed to crouch securely even on the wooden table. Kurloz signed angrily at her, slamming his hands down on the table every now and then, but Nepeta ignored him in favor of gazing pleadingly at Tavros. "Don't leave, please! Is it beclaws of what Papa did? Mama won't let him anymore, so you can stay, Tavrrrrows!"

"What happened to Tavros?" Rufio demanded, glowering at Kurloz distrustfully. The elder Makara waved the older Nitram off, still focused on his daughter. Annoyed with the lack of answer, Rufio turned to his younger brother, who was cowering away from Nepeta's pleading onslaught. "What did they do to you, Tavros?"

"N-Nothing!" Tavros squeaked in response. Karkat snorted loudly and disbelievingly in response, which made Rufio's eyes narrow and Tavros backtrack. Shooting a weak glare around Nepeta at his team leader, Tavros amended "I mean, uh, I might have, maybe, just kind of deserved it, um, maybe a little, but- - -"

"WHAT?" Rufio's voice echoed in the dining hall, making Nepeta scramble off the table and Karkat wince. Tavros stood, making a face when the wooden legs of his chair screeched against the tile on the floor yet again. Ignoring Gamzee's half-hearted confused attempt to keep him seated, Tavros all but ran around the table to stand by his brother.

"It was, uh, nice meeting everybody!" He called over his shoulder, waving at the table as a whole. "Uh, hopefully I can, maybe, come again soon!"

"Tavros- - -" Karkat started, only to be interrupted when Tavros cut him off with a shrill "See you at school, Karkat, Nepeta, um, G-Gamzee!"

"Whoa, Tavbro- - -" Grabbing his brother's arm and waving at everyone wildly, Tavros absconded to Rufio's car before anything else could happen.

They sat in silence outside of the house for a long moment. Rufio kept trying to ask what happened, but Tavros waved it off. When he persisted, the younger Nitram finally pretended to be tired and want to sleep. Finally, finally, Rufio let it go. Tavros listened as Rufio's old car came to life, watching as a light turned on in the attic of Gamzee's house. It wasn't until they were halfway home that Tavros remembered what Gamzee had said about the room placement. Gamzee had been in the window, watching as his best bro drove home and waving from his room. It wasn't until Tavros was in his own room did he realize something else:

He never did get to see Gamzee's room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a day takes a drastic turn.

Wednesday was a good day, Tavros felt.

He'd given his speech to Karkat and Vriska that morning, and he'd only been given about half the criticisms as usual. His shoulder had healed from the abuse Kurloz put on it, the bruises faded to nothing. And when they took their usual quiz, on Music again, he'd gotten eight out of ten right. Gamzee had beamed proudly at him, making his stomach fill with uncomfortable butterflies, but it had been forced aside when a Nepeta had pounced on him and congratulated him. It lifted his spirits, and Tavros felt like he was having a spectacularly good day.

He was walking towards the classroom at the beginning of lunch; despite having just been sitting down for an hour and a half for math, Tavros knew the importance of the upcoming scrimmage, and he was determined to study as much as he could. The better his scores for it, the happier Karkat would be, hopefully, and then maybe he wouldn't push the rest of them so much.

And that was about when the day took a nose dive.

Math was the one class he didn't share with anyone from the team or even in the class. It was in a building on the opposite side of campus, which meant that Tavros was usually running to get to the classroom on time.

Today was such a nice day that Tavros decided to slow down; he walked casually from class towards the AcaDec classroom, his backpack wrapped firmly around his hand as he soaked in the sun. As he walked, he watched as friends greeted each other, getting food and telling stories about classes. It was such a calm environment compared to the room he was headed towards, Tavros couldn't help but smile as he took it all in.

He picked up followers as he walked, though he didn't realize that he was being followed.

"Hey, guess who it is?" A voice near Tavros's ear brought him to a stop just down the hall from the AcaDec classroom due to proximity and familiarity. He couldn't see who it was, though, because hands were shoving him in all directions.

"It's Tavros Nitram!" An arm wrapped around his neck, forcing Tavros's face to smoosh up against the rough fabric of someone else's backpack. A hand followed the arm, ruffling his mohawk roughly. Tavros winced at the treatment, struggling to get out; the more he struggled, the tighter the arm went and the more the oxygen was cut off from his throat. Tears welled up in Tavros's eyes, and he willed the treatment to stop.

"What's going on, guys?" Tavros was released, and he scrambled back several steps, panting heavily.

It was sad, but it appeared he'd forgotten what it was like to be bullied. He was usually stuck in the classroom for studying, and outside of it he was with someone from the class as if they were a sort of protective bodyguard. Nobody had been able to bully him since the school year began, and Tavros had gotten used to it. Even Vriska had been toning down her insults, though Tavros wasn't entirely sure if it was because she couldn't get away with doing much other than study due to Karkat's ever present vigilance or because Gamzee had taken him under his protection whenever he could.

And though he forgot about his previous bullies, it was clear that they'd not forgotten about him. It took him a while, but after a few moments Tavros was able to place two of the boys that had stopped him.

Jason was the leader, the head guy; he was almost a foot taller than Tavros, a senior now. He'd blindly followed Vriska when she teased him, taking her torments into the physical world while Serket would taunt Tavros with her words. Jason had floppy brown hair, sharp hazel eyes, and a wide grin. He was handsome in many girls' eyes, a real heartthrob, though he was an athlete and had a mean streak nearly a mile wide. His right hand man was Adam, a fellow football player, who'd been suspended for school related violence more times than Tavros could count. He was a giant, almost as wide as he was tall, with a crooked nose and a scar that covered his left cheek.

The other two were just more lackeys, Tavros was sure. He'd never seen them before; they looked like junior varsity football players, freshmen trying to play with the big boys.

Tavros felt himself shrink in the sight of the four boys, his hand tightening on his backpack strap. He really thought that they'd be done bullying him, seeing as he'd all but vanished in the weeks since he'd joined AcaDec, but clearly such a thing was not the case. Tavros glanced a bit behind him again, where the door to the classroom was, and prayed to every god he could think of that he would be saved.

Nothing happened.

"Well?" Jason shoved Tavros's shoulder, forcing the smaller boy back a few steps. They all advanced, though, and Tavros felt cornered though he knew he could get away if he tried to run or scream for help. "Aren't you gonna at least say hi, Tavbore?" He grinned with too many teeth, but Tavros was frozen in place. He couldn't make a sound, let alone call for help. "We haven't seen you 'round. Maybe you should apologize for that, Tavros." Jason drew out the 'a' the same way that Vriska did.

"Tav?" Eridan's voice came from behind him, and Tavros turned slightly to see the Ampora leaning out of the classroom, his hand on the door. Eridan looked confused, his violet eyes moving from the Varsity student to the other boys around him and back. When he spoke again, his stutter came out. "W-we're all w-waitin', Tav-v. Ya comin' or w-what?"

"I'll be right there." Tavros responded automatically. Eridan looked at the situation suspiciously but nodded and closed the door again. Tavros stared for a moment longer at the door, not a single thing going through his mind.

And then he cursed himself into a storm in his mind; god damn it, how stupid was he? That had been his chance! He wanted help, and the only person who came for him he'd turned away carelessly. A menacing chuckle brought Tavros's attention to Jason, who was cracking his knuckles in seeming anticipation. Tavros felt himself pale considerably, his chocolate eyes going wide with fear. Shit, what was he supposed to- - -

His first swing caught Tavros off guard despite the small boy watching it coming, and he spun with the force of Jason's fist meeting his cheek right by his eye. A yelp escaped Tavros without him realizing it, his hand going up to cup the injured area instantly as he swung around to face Jason again. At the same time, a loud bang came from behind Tavros.

Before he could turn around again, long lanky arms wrapped around him and pulled him tightly against a tall, thin form. It felt familiar, but Tavros couldn't find it in him to place it right away. The arms around him held him tightly, but it was comforting and Tavros felt himself relax into the body behind him. In front of him, Jason and his cronies all turned white.

"Is there a _motherfucking problem_ with my little _motherfucker_ here?" A dark voice rumbled from above his mohawk. Tavros felt his eyes widen as well, shock coursing through his body; it was Gamzee behind him, Gamzee in physical form and spoken language, but not Gamzee in tone. There was nothing of the Makara's easy going personality or lazy tone, or his friends-with-all-isn't-everything-fucking-miraculous attitude. Gamzee sounded dark and dangerous, his body tensed in ways it shouldn't have been. Tavros was immediately on edge, uncertain of where he stood with this new Gamzee Makara.

"O-o-of c-c-c-course not-t-t." One of Jason's cronies stammered, one of the younger ones who hadn't looked familiar; Jason himself was silent, and Tavros felt more terror course through him. If his tormentor, his fearless bully, was terrified into silence, what did that say about his fate?

"Then _perhaps_ a bunch of _unmiraculous motherfuckers_ like you should all up and _abscond_." It didn't sound like the suggestion it was worded as, what with the way Gamzee's voice was grating and violent-sounding, and they didn't waste a moment. Before Gamzee was even finished speaking, they were running away. Tavros watched them leave with a sense of hopelessness. What good was being saved if he was going to be terrorized?

He went to move away, but Gamzee wouldn't let him go. Tavros felt himself panic, and his eyes darted around to find help. He kept struggling, and the more he struggled the tighter Gamzee held. A growl started in Makara's throat, spurring more struggles from Taros that got him nowhere. It wasn't until Karkat appeared out of nowhere with Nepeta, the cat-loving girl wrapping her arms around Gamzee's neck with the help of the shorter Vantas, that the Makara even stopped growling. She whispered something to Gamzee's ear, something that sounded soothing even to Tavros, and the Varsity student felt Gamzee's arms relax slowly.

It felt like an eternity before Gamzee released him fully, and Tavros put almost five feet of space between them before he turned to face the trio. Nepeta was being lowered to the ground again, Karkat bending down slowly to put her feet gently on the floor, her smile nervous yet hopeful.

Gamzee had his fists clenched tightly, his body tensed as if he was prepared to fight. His indigo eyes were sharp and clear, narrowed at Tavros...no, narrowed just past him, where Jason and his pals had absconded. He was trembling, though for a different reason Tavros was; when he spoke, his voice was calmer but with a barely contained edge of rage.

"You all up and all _motherfucking right_ , Tavbro?" He asked; his voice was fluctuating wildly between a low grumble and a loud yell. Tavros felt his jaw work slightly, unsure of what to say. His throat was dry, his heart pounding crazily in his ribcage.

He'd never seen Gamzee like this, as dark and dangerous as he was now.

Karkat snapped his teeth and stood on his toes; he began papping Gamzee on his head. Tavros winced and opened his mouth to say something against the treatment, but it worked a lot better than Nepeta's voice did. Gamzee's body instantly relaxed, his shoulders slumping and his gaze losing the focused look. His hand came up as he groaned, rubbing at his temples.

"Motherfucking..." He mumbled under his breath. Karkat sniffed, glancing back at Tavros; the Nitram smiled shakily, but worried about how pale and shaken Karkat looked.

"Inside, dumbass." He snapped, though it was gentle and soothing, not as loud as he usually was. Gamzee looked confused, especially when Nepeta shoved his pill bottle in his hand. He stared at it uncomprehendingly before something seemed to click.

"Tavbro!" He cried loudly, looking around a bit before his eyes caught sight of the Varsity. A wide grin crossed his face, and Gamzee strode away from Nepeta and Karkat to hug Tavros.

"Gamzee, wait!" Nepeta cried at the same time Karkat lunged for his arm with a panicked "No, fuckass!"

Tavros winced, taking several panicked steps back that froze Gamzee in place. Makara stood with his arms outstretched for a long minute before another understanding dawned in his eyes; Tavros could see on his face the exact moment he pieced everything together. Slowly, his arms fell to his sides and Gamzee seemed to draw in on himself; he gave Tavros a look that was wounded yet understanding, sorrow growing on his face. Gamzee stood in between Tavros and Karkat, before turning around and uncertainly loping back to the classroom. Nepeta whined in her throat as her uncle moved past her without acknowledging her, stepping to go after him slowly before looking questioningly at Karkat.

"Look." Karkat snapped at Tavros, ignoring the Leijon for a moment. Nepeta glanced at him before seeming to understand the significance of what he was going to say; she patted his hair and turned tail, fleeing to the classroom to presumably comfort her uncle.

It was a testament to how serious Karkat was that he didn't bare his teeth at her like usual.

"Um, what's up?" Tavros responded shakily. Karkat inspected him critically and sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Gamzee has this fucked up idea that you're gonna stick around for some fucking time." He said shortly. Karkat didn't look like he agreed with Gamzee, but he didn't show an inclination to stop. "And if you are, then there's some pretty heavy shit you need to know."

"Like...like what?" Tavros whispered, shaking a bit nervously now. Karkat didn't look pissed off like usual, mostly upset and resigned.

"Gamzee's the way he fucking is for a reason." Karkat started. His voice was hesitant, but he had a look of fierce determination that showed his intent to get through whatever he wanted to say. "A damn good one, too. You know he and Nepeta were born around the same time. Same fucking year and everything, only months apart."

"Um, right." Tavros squeaked. Karkat nodded shortly.

"Right. Well, Genevieve," he frowned a bit when Tavros looked confused and elaborated just a bit. "Fuckass idiot's mother- - -she worried about Meulin a lot cause she was still a fucking kid. Like, too damn much. You watch fucking Kurloz or Meulin talk about her, she's the greatest fucking woman that ever lived; screw Mother Theresa and all that shit, Genevieve topped them all."

"Did you, uh, did you know her?" Tavros smiled shakily; Karkat glowered and he shrunk back. "Ah, Ga-Gamzee's mother?"

"Course not, stupid." Karkat scoffed. "I'm younger than Gamzee, moron, now shut up. I'm not done."

"Sorry." Tavros squeaked.

"Anyway," Karkat interjected loudly, "her worry for Meulin caused a lot of unforeseen shit for Gamzee; there were a lot of issues she didn't fucking have with Kurloz, and the stupid ass doctors couldn't catch them in time. Or they were just too damn stupid to do a fucking thing about it, either way. She died during her labor."

"Oh no." Tavros whispered quietly. "How awful."

"Not as awful as what happened next." Karkat snapped. "Shut the hell up."

"What happened?"

"Their dad fucking ran, like some damn coward. Couldn't face either of his sons. They looked too much like Genevieve or something pathetically stupid like that. He never hired any damn maid or shit like that either. Which was fucking hard on Kurloz; kid was barely sixteen and had to take care of two fucking kids. By the time Gamzee turned four his fucking father showed up and took him back. But the asshole was never there and Gamzee was too damn little to ask for help."

"Well, didn't Nepeta, uh, kind of, maybe, grow up..." Tavros started; Karkat seemed to grow in size with indignant rage.

"At least Nepeta had her fucking parents!" Karkat snapped his teeth at Tavros, making the other Varsity shrink back again and regret opening his mouth. "Gamzee was fucking alone in that damn house, getting into shit he shouldn't have and screwing himself over. One of the last incidences, when he was eight, it screwed him up permanently. Gave him a whole fucking other personality. Made him violent as shit and crazy as fuck. It took Kurloz two fucking days to find him, and when he did Gamzee had gone all Lord of the fucking Flies on him."

"B-But he doesn't..." Tavros trailed off, hoping Karkat would get what he was trying to say. Vantas squinted at him, trying to understand, before sniffing and crossing his arms.

"Yeah, well, not now." Karkat stressed, his voice tired and resigned. "Now he's got his fucking drugs that keep him high and that other fucking personality hidden behind a fucking cloud of fucking rainbows." Tavros winced again, Karkat watching him carefully with a scowl. It faded as Vantas sighed, the sound weary and tired. "Look, I didn't tell you this shit to scare you off or something. If I know Gamzee, the asshole feels like shit for scaring the ever-loving fuck out of you." He glanced up and met Tavros's eyes almost imploringly.

"Then...then why?" Tavros whispered.

"You'd be fucking good for him." Karkat said honestly. "We worry about him, Nep and I. No one wants to be with a fuck up. But he's taken a damn liking to you, and it's in all of our best interests that you don't breaking his fucking heart or some shit." Karkat sighed again. "Look I'm not telling you to turn on some flushed feelings his way, got it? Just..." Tavros watched as Karkat rubbed his eyes. "Just be fucking normal around him."

He turned around without waiting for Tavros to respond; gulping, the Nitram followed Vantas on shaking legs. They got to the door when Karkat stopped again.

"You tell anyone about this," he shot out suddenly, "I will fucking kill you. Got it?" Tavros nodded haltingly, instinctively knowing that anything else would be the wrong answer. Karkat studied the Nitram a bit longer before huffing out an approved hiss and throwing the door open with much more force than necessary.

He stomped in and immediately took a seat on Gamzee's right, grabbing the older boy's hand in his own and shoosh papping him less than gently with his other hand. Nepeta was curled in a chair on Makara's left, shooting apologetic looks at Equius while making quiet comforting noises at Gamzee. The boy ignored them both, staring up at the ceiling with a dazed but blank expression.

Tavros followed Karkat, but stopped completely when the whole class went quiet and turned to stare at him. His eyes strayed over Gamzee's position before acknowledging the rest of the class: John's confused blue eyes and the blank glare from Dave's sunglasses, Vriska's silent taunting and Kanaya's quiet compassion, Equius's hard stare and Sollux's biting glance...

Eridan's cautious gaze and Feferi's worried fidgeting.

Taking a slight breath, Tavros made a split decision; he left Gamzee in the hands of those closest to him and made his way towards Eridan and Feferi. Expertly avoiding Vriska's outstretched leg as he passed her, Tavros kept his eyes on the empty seat between the step siblings until the moment he was able to collapse in it. The team went back to their studies, though Vriska flipped him off and stuck her tongue out before Kanaya tugged at one of her braids. Sollux watched him wearily as Tavros say down, though a glare from Eridan had Captor shrugging and placing his headphone back in his ear.

"I'm sorry, Tav-v." Eridan whispered as soon as Nitram sat down and everyone else was suitably distracted. He was biting his lip, fingers twisting in his scarf under the table. Tavros had never seen him look so insecure. "I didn't mean to tell, honest."

"It's fine, Eridan." Tavros sighed. "It was, uh, bound to come out, um, at some point, sooner or later."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Feferi asked softly. Tavros winced; it was a sign of how upset she was that she didn't use her fish puns. The wannabe sea princess continued by placing her hand softly on Tavros's shoulder. "We could've helped you, Tavros."

"I'm sorry." He whispered. Feferi smiled at him sadly, reaching out with her other hand to mess with his mohawk.

"Ya got nothin to be sorry for, Tav." Eridan shook his head. "If anythin, we oughta be sorry for not catchin on sooner." Feferi let out a 'glub' that made Tavros giggle, even if a bit nervously.

"Yea!" She agreed. "And if they ever give you trouble again, you shell me right away!" Her fuchsia colored contacts gleamed under her tinted goggles, her smile turning sharp and dangerous like Vriska's; it set Tavros on edge after what had just happened with Gamzee, even if the two had meant well. "I'll be shore to straighten them out right away!" Her smile turned gentle as she looked eagerly at Tavros. "After all, that's what fronds are for, right?"

"Uhhh, right." Tavros glanced almost longingly over to his normal seat at the front of the classroom by Gamzee, the one that Nepeta was currently curled in. Despite the spike of terror in his stomach and the lump in his throat, Tavros wished that he could be in his normal spot. He didn't need anyone's pity, or help really. Almost five years of knowing Vriska Serket gave Tavros enough strength to deal with small bullies like that.

He spent the rest of the lunch debating on how to approach Gamzee. Tavros would look up from staring blankly at his packet, hoping that an idea would come to him, only to stop in his tracks when he saw how forlorn Gamzee looked between his closest friend and his niece. Then he would stop paying attention to anything but Gamzee, not even hearing Eridan or Sollux or even Feferi talking to him. He was coming up with and abandoning ideas so fast, Tavros couldn't even keep up with his own mind.

By the time lunch ended, Tavros still didn't have an idea.

He packed his unread packet into his bag, waving absently at Feferi when she, Sollux, and Eridan bounded out of the classroom at high speed. His mind racing, Tavros ignored everyone else until he stopped in front of Gamzee's desk. The Makara didn't seem to notice, because he was still staring at the ceiling and he hadn't acknowledged Tavros at all; Karkat threw him a heavy look full of meaning that Tavros didn't fully understand as he stood up.

"I guess I'll fucking walk you to class then, Nepeta." The Leijon looked up in confusion, her mouth automatically opened in denial, before her olive colored eyes caught sight of Tavros. Smiling ferally, Nepeta gracefully leapt out of her seat.

"Purrfect!" She shouted, grabbing her bag from the floor by her desk. "I can update you on my shipping chart, Karkitty!"

"Who says I give a bulge-munching fuck about your damn shipping chart?" Karkat snapped back, color tinting his cheeks crimson. Nepeta ignored him completely, throwing her bag around her shoulders and wrapping her arm around Karkat. Before Tavros could even blink, the couple had gone, and he realized that the quietness meant that he and Gamzee were alone.

Silence stretched on awkwardly as Tavros realized he had no idea what to say to Gamzee, and Makara made no move to talk.

"Uhhh..."

"Gonna be motherfucking late, bro." Gamzee muttered absently.

"That's, um, fine." Tavros took a calming breath, trying to steady his shaking hand. "What about, you?"

"Got my think pan all up and fucking settled." Gamzee still wasn't looking at Tavros, as if by not looking he would be able to avoid the conversation. "Fucking Parcel Mistress gets all her teach on in this motherfucking miracle language class." Tavros frowned slightly before he got it: Gamzee had English class with a Parcel Mistress?

"Who's the Parcel Mistress?" Tavros asked. The question gained Gamzee's attention, as he rolled his head around to look at Tavros out of the corner of his eye.

"The motherfucking mirthful messiah of the fucking spelling shit we all converse in." Gamzee snorted lazily. "She's our fucking special messiah, though she don't fucking show does she?" Messiah…It took Tavros a moment, but he got the message: Gamzee's English teacher was the coach for the AcaDec team. But she never really seemed to notice that she had an extracurricular class, considering it was October and she hadn't shown up once. But why was she called Parcel Mistress?

"Why Parcel Mistress?" Makara shrugged.

"Hell if I know, bro." He snorted and coughed. "Shit bro, might as well fucking preach what's on your think pan." Tavros squeaked, stammering out words that stopped when Gamzee shot him a slightly focused look. "You got some shit to say bout what fucking happened, you better just fucking up and say it bro."

"Why do you, uh," Tavros licked his lips, looking for an escape he wouldn't use. "Why do you, um, get so violent like that?" Gamzee let out a slight whine. "It's kind of, uh, scary."

"Motherfuck, bro, I never up and meant to show you that." Gamzee sighed apologetically; Tavros felt his heart clench at the sight of the normally cheerful Makara looking as down as he did, even if he was staring up at the ceiling.

"Gamzee..."

"I didn't motherfucking want to show you that at fucking all, bro." Gamzee hunched himself over his desk, his nail scraping a pattern in the wood beneath it. His voice was filled with anguish as he spoke, though he didn't move to acknowledge Tavros when the Varsity placed a slightly trembling hand on his shoulder. "All that ugly shit, that ain't me. It ain't me, it's not, it can't be. Right?" He sounded so lost and confused that it made Tavros bite his lip.

"Um, that's not you." Tavros agreed softly. "Because, uh, you're my best bro, right?" Gamzee didn't move, but Tavros shook him lightly. A cold dread grew in his chest, settling right over his stomach; was he going to lose his best friend just because he he was terrified of everything? "Right?"

"Right, motherfucker." Gamzee repeated dutifully.

"Right." Tavros repeated shortly, taking a deep breath. The cold ache loosened when Gamzee spoke, though it didn't go away completely. "And, um, my best bros aren't...aren't like that. Right?" Gamzee nodded, looking like he was trying to think through his haze.

"Right." He said slowly, trying to comprehend what Tavros was getting at with what he was saying.

"So that's not you." Tavros decided, plopping himself down beside Gamzee despite his instinctual warning to get away. His heart pounding in his chest and in his head, Tavros watched Makara out of the corner of his eye to see what the Honors student would do. Gamzee was watching Tavros with a sort of awed wonder, reaching out to trace his fingers across Tavros's cheek. The Varsity let him, closing his eyes and fighting back his urge to flinch away.

Gamzee's fingers traced the soft skin of his cheek from his eye all the way down to his jaw; his touch was reverent, fleeting- - -gentle, as if he realized that if he screwed up now, the Makara would not get another chance with Tavros. And with his eyes closed, Tavros could pretend that Gamzee never went violent and scary.

"Motherfucking miracles." Gamzee breathed quietly, makimg Tavros smile.

It was the first time Tavros had ever been late for class, but it was worth it to be able to reassure both himself and Gamzee that they were still friends.


	7. Intermission 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief intermission

Intermission

\- - ->: Be Past Sollux Captor

With the way everything's been since Karkat's announcement of a scrimmage at the beginning of the week, it's been something of a stressful week.

Scratch that; it's been a stressful _year_.

Sollux leaned against his hands, staring up at the sky and taking a moment to do something he's never done before: feel the cool breeze against his face.

He'd just walked out of Gamzee's house in an attempt to calm himself down. He was frustrated with everything: learning all the material necessary to be in Academic Decathlon was much more work than he'd thought it would be. It's taken up so much more of his time than Sollux had anticipated, and he was seriously debating on just quitting once their upcoming scrimmage was done with. He wasn't paying any attention to his actual school and homework, and even his coding was dwindling down to nothing. All that's been in his mind since August was the Great Depression, fucking geology, and that damn music that gave him a headache.

Added to his mother taking extra shifts to make ends meet again, his brother starting to freak out when she wasn't there at night anymore, and the anniversary of Aradia's supposed 'death' coming up at a rapid pace...

Sollux wasn't sure how much more he could handle.

The door opened behind him, interrupting his thoughts and serenity. He tried to scowl, but couldn't bring up the energy to do anything as he heard footsteps approaching. They stopped beside him, and then there was silence.

"You just gonna stand there like an idiot or you going to sit down?" Sollux snapped after five minutes. There was a slight hesitation, and then he felt the gentle fabric of Eridan's coat brush his face as Ampora sat himself on the curb beside Sollux.

"Kar's cursin up a storm cause a you." Eridan muttered sullenly just as Sollux was about to ask why he was there. Captor shrugged a shoulder in response, not particularly caring; Karkat was the type of person to curse up a storm just because someone breathed wrong next to him. There was another moment of silence, then "Are ya mad at me, Sol?"

"What the ever loving fuck gave you that dumb idea?" Sollux snapped sarcastically. Eridan hesitated, then jumped to his feet.

"Screw-w you!" He snapped back. It was so out of nowhere that Sollux opened his eyes and stared up in shock. Eridan was blocking the sunset, standing in a way that highlighted his face and crossed arms. There was still traces of blood on his face, because Karkat wouldn't let either Vriska or Eridan go until they'd studied the geology packet and took a couple of quizzes as punishment for fighting. He was scowling deeply, though Sollux could see a flicker of hurt in his near-violet eyes.

It made his stomach lurch in an unpleasant way.

"What the hell do you care anyway?" Sollux hissed. He could feel himself getting angry as he shot to his feet as well, poking at Eridan's chest. He pushed until the Honors student took a step back and off the curb, giving him a slight advantage of height. "Did KK thend you out here to try and pathify me or thome thit?"

God _damn it_ , he hated his lisp. Usually he could keep it under control, but it required focus. When he was tired or furious or overly excited, it tended to slip out. Normally he wouldn't mind it, but he was already angry; all it did was add fuel to his fire.

"No!" Eridan pushed him back, though he didn't try to get back on the curb. The fading sunlight was reflecting the blue on his coat and scarf on his face, where the blood hadn't truly come off yet. It was shining purple in the light, and only served to anger Sollux more.

"Then what the fuck are you out here for?"

"I w-was _tryin_ to see if you w-were all right, asshole!" Eridan admitted in a furious huff. Hurt was peppering the undertone of his voice, and it brought out his own stutter. "Since Dave an John ditched an you came out here to have-ve your damn pity party or whatev-ver, Kar decided enough was enough. W-We'v-ve been studyin for hours anyw-way. I w-wanted to know-w if you w-wanted me an Fef to give you a ride back to your house!" He rubbed at his nose again; a little bit more of the dried blood flaked off. Sneering disdainfully, Eridan shook his head and his hand, turning away. "W-whatev-ver."

Sollux watched him as he walked away, a frown on his face. That was...a bit unexpected. And completely bizarre for Eridan.

Then again, Eridan's been acting a bit differently toward Sollux since the Captor had joined the Academic Decathlon team. He still insulted and fought with him, without a doubt, because Feferi was still trying to get them to get along.

But Eridan had been helping him a lot more too. He started showing up with Feferi to hang out with Sollux during brunch and lunch. He'd been giving- - -read as, shoving it down his throat- - -Sollux food since September, when the Ampora realized that Sollux practically never ate. In his own roundabout way, Eridan had even been tutoring him in the subjects he needed help on but was too stubborn to admit to.

And just now, without anyone demanding him to, Eridan Ampora was about to offer Sollux a ride home.

Something warm filled Sollux's gut, creeping up on him unexpectedly. It was warm and comforting in a way that made him feel uncomfortable in his own skin. It pooled in his stomach, creeping up to his chest. A light blush dusted his face, and he felt something similar to a smile creeping up. He stamped it down firmly, trying to bring back his scowl; it was easy once he realize Eridan was still walking away.

"Oi." Eridan turned baring his teeth, coming to a stop. Sollux had his hands in his pockets, his head tilted down and away from the Ampora. The light blush was still dusting his face, and he shifted slightly to talk. "If you're serious...I'll take that ride."

"Frankly I'm offended ya don't think I'm serious." Eridan shot back solemnly after a tense moment of silence. "I don't joke round w-with stuff like that. You oughta know-w that, Sol." He waited a bit while Sollux gathered his bearings enough to catch up with him. Once they were walking next to each other, they walked together in silence for a moment before... "Y'know, Sol, you shoulda gotten that eye a yours checked out before ya left."

"It looks that bad?" Sollux teased cautiously. He raised his hands up, not particularly sure where they were going; when Eridan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, Sollux easily continued the motion by placing his hands behind his head. The fluidity of the action covered up his slight hesitation. "I thought it looked distinguished. Made me seem tough."

"Ooh, big word for a Varsity." Eridan snorted.

"I'm Varsity, meaning I'm smart but lazy, not stupid." Sollux shot back. His lisp was already fading away, relaxing Sollux even more in Eridan's company. He let the barest hint of a smile cross his face, staring at the multi-colored sky above. "I can know big words if I want to."

"I know." Eridan huffed. Sollux glanced at him out of the corner of his eye; the Ampora had his arms crossed, a slightly twisted look on his face. The dried blood was stubbornly clinging to his skin.

"Hold up." Sollux forced Eridan to stop; he opened his mouth to complain, only to freeze up when Sollux licked his finger and began rubbing away at the blood. Sollux kept his eyes firmly on the job, refusing to acknowledge the dark flush creeping up on his face. "You should have gotten this checked out at least, fishface. Or cleaned up."

"W-Well, I…" Eridan's stammer came back full force, making Sollux smile a bit as he pulled away.

"All better." He said proudly. Eridan was close enough that Sollux could see every shade of blue in his eyes, even through the black hipster glasses he always wore. His breath caught in his throat, and Sollux could feel his blood rushing back to his face at the sound. Sollux's own breath stuck, and he reached up again to gently press his fingers to the side of Ampora's face.

"Oh, Eridan!" Feferi's voice sang from a few blocks down, making both boys wrench apart and flush violently. She was waving, though her smile dimmed a bit when she saw Sollux. Crossing her arms, the Peixes adopted a sort of motherly stance that seemed to make Eridan nervous. "Are you fighting with Sollux again, Eridan?"

"No w-way!" Eridan's stutter was still prominent, and the sound of it made Feferi's eyes narrow. He held up his hands and shook them. "Honest, Fef, I w-was- - -"

"Promising me a ride home was what he was doing." Sollux came to the Honors student's rescue, which made Feferi's frown fade to confusion.

"Did he, now?" Feferi studied both boys before shrugging. "All right, if you're shore, Sollux." She waited a moment, but when neither boy contradicted her, she beamed. "I told you guys you would get along reel well if you just tried, instead of making waves!"

"Mother a Cod, gill, calm your fishy puns!" Eridan sighed in mock exasperation, grabbing Sollux's arm and dragging him up the block to meet Feferi.

"Don't you shell me anything, Mister Fishface, you use them too!" Sollux cracked a smile. Feferi motioned for the boys to follow her into the house. "Come on over, Sollux, and we'll sea about that ride home."

"Thanks, FF."

"Hey, it was my offer!"

"Oh, my hero!" Sollux pretended to swoon into Eridan, forcing the slightly taller boy to catch him before he hit the ground. Feferi giggled at their antics, rushing ahead into the house to go find her mother. Eridan watched until she was gone, then pressed a quick, barely-there kiss to Sollux's cheek. While Captor was staring up at him in shock, Eridan released his grip and dropped him on the floor.

"W-Wait for me, Fef!" He yelled, following after her.

"GOD DAMMIT, AMPORA!" Sollux shouted after him. Eridan bit down a laugh as he moved much faster; Sollux spread out on the floor and stared at the ceiling, hand on his cheek. Despite himself, a wide grin grew on his face.

This was looking up to be a damn good year.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the time is here and the scrimmage begins.

All too suddenly, it was 7:30 in the morning on October 23rd, and Tavros found himself nearly crushed in Vriska's backseat. Vriska's mother, though nice and kind, looked too much like her daughter to allow Tavros to fully relax despite the pleasant conversation she kept trying to have. And Vriska's father, sitting stoically in the driver's seat, unnerved Tavros even more. He tried to not touch anyone in the back seat too much lest the man deem it inappropriate, but the Serket's car was small; he had Vriska crammed against his left side while she went over packets, pressing her side against him so that they were touching from shoulder to knee and almost purposely tossing her hair into his face every now and then.

They had also brought Aranea, Vriska's younger sister, with them. She was still little, only about two or three, and seemed to have taken a liking to Tavros's mohawk. Whenever Tavros went to pull strands of Vriska's dark hair from his face, Aranea would reach out from her car seat and tug on his hair. She was an adorable miniature of Vriska; her face was rounder, her hair falling just past her chin in a cute bob. Aranea's electric eyes were bigger and nicer than her sister's, and Tavros found himself indulging her whims a lot easier than Vriska's. She practically demanded his attention, and Tavros spent the two hour ride to Prospit playing peek-a-boo and singing songs with Aranea.

Vriska's annoyance at being ignored didn't come up in front of her parents. She waited until they got to the high school. Stepping out gracefully, Vriska waved a careless farewell to her parents and sister, waiting impatiently as Tavros followed. He leaned down and thanked them profusely for the ride; as they drove off, Vriska whacked him the back of the head, hard enough to make him see stars.

"I didn't bring you along to be entertainment for my baby sister, Tavbore." She snapped irritably, tossing her head back and sniffing in disdain at Tavros crouched on the floor. He stood slowly, turning to maybe ask her what, exactly, was her problem, but she flounced away without acknowledging him again. Sighing, Tavros followed after her to the library, where Karkat, Gamzee, and Eridan were waiting. Five minutes later, John, Dave, Sollux, and Equius showed up together, John waving goodbye to his dad as he drove off.

"So," Karkat started, "We're all in agreement that the one fucking person we all know on this damn team is Megido." His eyes slid from Eridan to Dave warningly. "Kankri's an annoying nook-sniffing grub muncher with no value on the human ability to stay focused. Any other fucking surprises?"

"Bro's a dick." Dave supplied monotonously. John snickered, though Karkat tossed him a dirty look.

"Real fucking helpful, Strider." Karkat snarled between gritted teeth. Dave gave him a thumbs up.

"Cro's a bit of a wannabe fifties greaser." Eridan cut in. "An he's got an eye out for anyone. He doesn't know any a you, so he might be flirtin a bit strongly with all a ya. So unless that sorta thing's your kinda style, keep rejectin him til he gets the picture."

"He won't get it the first time?" Equius questioned uncertainly. Sweat began gathering on his forehead, and he wiped at it absently. Karkat made a disgusted noise, following John as they moved away from Equius.

"An Mee's the polar opposite a Fef, guys, I can promise ya that." Eridan sniffed in disdain, though he was glancing around as if Meenah Peixes was going to appear out of nowhere. "She's crass an rude an violent as fuck. Steer clear a her if you can."

"It's, uh, 7:45, guys." Tavros shook lightly from the cold, and Gamzee wrapped his arm loosely around his shoulders. Shooting a grateful look at the taller boy, Tavros huddled into him. "Who, exactly, is it that we're, um, waiting for?"

"Are you guys my team then?" A melodic voice came from the direction of the parking lot. They all turned to see a woman stopping in front of them.

She had short, nearly white blonde hair and crystal-clear blue eyes. A pair of clear glasses rested on her round face, but she didn't look much older than the rest of them. She had a blue and pink hat on, and her clothes matched the stripes pattern that decorated the pink. Slung over her shoulder was a light blue messenger bag, which was filled to the brim with sealed envelopes and wrapped packages.

Tavros suddenly understood the Parcel Mistress title.

"You guys must be them." A wide smile crossed her face and lit up her eyes and, wow, Tavros did not realize how pretty she was until this point. He leaned further into Gamzee, a slight flush decorating his face. The Parcel Mistress did a quick head count, looking from the roster in her hand every two names to see who was who.

"Hey, Parcel Misstress." Gamzee greeted; she looked vaguely amused to see Gamzee.

"Good morning, Mister Makara." She folded up the roster again. "Everybody ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Sollux supplied with a roll of his eye.

"Right." The Parcel Mistress looked around a bit before catching sight of the library door. She pointed at it, heading in that direction. "This way, then, Alternians."

They all followed her excited gait, though she got ahead of them rather fast. She got to the library door, and had to wait for them to catch up to let them in. Karkat, as the leader, went in first; he hesitated just the slightest bit, as if gathering as much patience as he could with one breath, before taking confident strides in. Dave, John, and Eridan followed. Sollux moved to go after them, then stopped and moved to the side to let Equius in. Vriska shot him a knowing smirk as she flounced past him, but Eridan came back outside to check on the Varsity. As they spoke in quiet voices, Tavros pulled away from Gamzee just a bit and they walked in together.

Immediately, Tavros was struck by the amount of books the library had. Prospit's library was significantly larger than Alternia's, and for a moment all the small Varsity coud do was stare. It had two floors, a set of stairs leading up to the second floor just off to his right. The windows were bigger on the second floor, bathing the entire library in a warm light. Desks lined the rail of the second floor, able to allow three students to sit at them and study. The same desks filled the first floor, four across and five in a row. The desks were angled sideways from Tavros's perspective, with a major difference from the tables on the second floor:

These desks were occupied by students.

Tavros looked down and immediately shrank back from the poker face of Dave's Bro, the closest to him, staring right at him. Dave had all these subtle signs that let the people close enough to him see how he feels, and Tavros felt lucky that he was even able to be close enough to the younger Strider to pick up on his nuances. His bro has none of these; he could be a robot for all Tavros knew, and the thought set him on edge. Seated on either side of him and trying to get his attention was a young woman with blonde hair and another boy, this one with glasses and dark brown hair. They were both shooting suspicious glances at the team standing in their library, though the girl seemed just a little bit…tipsy. Her blonde hair was lighter than Dave's and his Bro's, cut in a bob that framed her face. She lifted her scarf to whisper something to Bro Strider and the other boy; he snickered, his bright green eyes looking in disdain at the younger team.

Two seats down was another girl, cupcake in front of her, cropped dark black hair held back by a headband; her focus was solely on the book in front of her, despite reaching out and taking a small finger swipe of frosting from the cupcake every now and then. She was studiously ignoring two people who could only be related to Feferi and Eridan, both of whom were throwing pieces of paper at her. Every once in a while, another dark haired girl would turn around and glower at them, though they put on innocent faces whenever she did so.

Another boy was seated on her other side, waiting patiently for her attention. He had a worn yet bright red sweater on; it appeared to be too big on him, though it could easily have been because he was fiddling with the sleeves in a nervous gesture. There was a look on his face, as if he had something to say but nobody would listen. Tavros felt his heart go out to the boy with the messy black hair and red sweater. He knew what it was like to be ignored.

The other boy looked up in disinterest when they walked in, only to grin wildly when he saw the team.

"Karkat!" He yelled excitedly, jumping to his feet and slamming his hands on the table. Everyone turned to look at him incredulously, but he seemed to have eyes only for the Alternian team leader. "Hey, Karkat!"

"Fuuuuuuuck." Karkat groaned under his breath. Tavros jumped, but Karkat had his eyes locked on the boy practically falling over himself to get his attention. There was a distasteful look on his face, like he wasn't pleased with being addressed, and he crossed his arms.

"Karkat!" The boy, who Tavros now figured was the Kankri that so pissed off Karkat two weeks ago, was suddenly shoved from behind. He face planted hard into the desk, his head kept down by the girl in the back who looked like a slightly older Feferi.

"Sit yer ass down, Kankri." She snarled. "I ain't about ta let ya bring no damn dishonor ta the Prospit team. The glub's a matter with ya?" Tossing back a thin braid that had fallen over her shoulder, she threw a sharky grin at the team; she also completely ignored Kankri's muffled cries as he struggled underneath her to get up. Her eyes were the same fuchsia tinted as Feferi's, though Tavros couldn't tell if she wore the same contacts as her younger sister did, or if the tint came from the colored glasses she wore. "Long time, no see, lil stepbro. How's Fef?"

"Meenah." Eridan said shortly in response.

"C'mon, kid," The older version of Eridan drawled; he hadn't gotten up yet, though his eyes flickered briefly to Kankri's distressed state, "Don't be treating a smart kitty like that." Eridan's eye twitched, but he refused to acknowledge his cousin. Cronus looked a bit disappointed, but his eyes trailed over the group before landing on Tavros. A shark grin similar to Meenah's crossed his face, and he sat back heavily in his chair. A suggestive look crept over his face as he tiled his seat back in a manner Tavros assumed was enticing. "Well, now, lookit here. Hello, there, little kitty. What's yer name?"

Tavros squeaked, turning crimson at the sudden attention. He looked around frantically, trying to find help or at least a way to get attention off of him. Cronus Ampora was nice-looking, he'd admit to himself. He was tanned, a bit like Eridan and Feferi, and had muscles that were obvious even through the slightly baggy white t-shirt he wore. His hair was a couple of shades darker than Eridan's, though Tavros couldn't tell if it was a natural look or if it was a result of the shiny grease that was clearly keeping his hair styled.

To be quite honest, though, Tavros had no clue who Cronus Ampora was. He talked a bit weird, and he was apparently ok with the sort of violence Meenah produced against Kankri. She was finally letting him up, due to the girl with the cupcake and blue glasses leveling a pointed stare at her, but the older Peixes seemed proud of the blood that was gushing from his nose. Tavros would have felt sorry for the older Vantas, but he was frozen in shock from Cronus's attention still.

Help came in the form of Gamzee; the Makara moved around Karkat easily and wrapped his arm around Tavros's shoulder, pulling the smaller boy towards him. He glowered darkly at Cronus until the older boy put his hands up in mock surrender, a disappointed look creeping over his face. The older Ampora's chair went down; Tavros realized with a start that Kankri had switched seats at some point, as he was now whispering animatedly to Cronus despite the blood.

Tavros wondered what kind of team they were up against.

'You're all here, then?" The Parcel Mistress nodded a bit at the other team's coach. "We are missing a student. She got sick yesterday and decided against showing up today." He gave a smile that sent chills up Tavros's spine. "Let's get started, shall we?" The Prospit team's coach sent a smile at Parcel Mistress, who shrugged in response.

"I suppose so." She replied. "How do you propose we begin these tests?"

"Everybody, up!" The Alpha team stood, despite minute grumblings, obeying their coach when he directed them to mingle with the Alternian team. Tavros shrunk into Gamzee's side as Cronus neared him with Meenah in tow, relaxing only minutely when the two came to a stop next to Eridan. The coaches turned to face their teams, though Parcel Mistress shuffled awkwardly where she stood. The Prospit coach waited a moment to gain his team's attention before speaking again. "Scrimmage is supposed to be preparation for the real thing. As such, we will seat you and you will stay there until the tests are done. Then we will hand out ribbons, and then we can all go home. There will be no eating or drinking during the tests, not even water. We will have a fifteen minute break, which I will dismiss you to. Until then, you are to remain in the seats I pick out for you. Those are the rules that we will follow. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Coach." The Prospit teamed answered, the Alternian team just slightly behind.

"Is this guy for real?" Eridan hissed to Karkat, who snickered in response. The Prospit coach whirled around, and Eridan found himself on the wrong end of a gun. It was aimed directly at his nose, and he squealed in shock; Meenah and Cronus snickered unkindly at his reaction.

"Those are the rules, Mr. Ampora, and we will abide by the aforementioned rules lest we fall into anarchy. Here in Prospit, we happen to take our rules very seriously. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Eridan squeaked in terror. The gun vanished as easily as it had appeared, and the coach pointed at the seat in the back row of the library.

"Cronus Ampora." The older Ampora sauntered over to his seat, sitting down with an easy grin. His coach waited until he was fully seated before skipping a seat and pointing at the end of the three person table. "You, with the dual glasses and yellow sweatshirt- - -"

"Uh, Sollux Captor." The Parcel Mistress supplied with a quick look at her roster.

"Whatever. You sit there." Sollux cringed when Cronus leaned onto the table with a leer, but he bravely stepped forward to sit down. He wasn't even fully seated before the Prospit coach pointed to a seat in the middle of the next table. "Roxy Lalonde, you're there."

"Righty, coach!" The blonde girl slurred- - -actually slurred- - -and skipped over. Her scarf followed her like a cape, fluttering around her as she went to sit down and completely missed the chair. Meenah cackled at the commotion, and Roxy shot her a venomous glare as she pulled herself up. Sollux hesitantly left his seat to help her up, but she snarled at him and he retreated to his seat once again. He sent his team a look that was decidedly uncomfortable.

Vriska was seated next, followed by Kankri. Karkat looked relieved, though Kankri was nervously staying at the opposite end of the table due to Vriska's glare. Tavros was seated at the next table by himself. One of the dark haired girls, Jade Harley, was seated in front of Cronus; her tablemate was Karkat. They were already bickering as Vantas sat down. The dark haired boy, Jake English, was seated in front of Roxy. In front of Vriska was Dave, with Dirk Strider as his tablemate. Gamzee was seated by himself in front of Tavros, which brought more relief than the Nitram would have liked to admit. The other dark haired girl, Jane Crocker, was put in front of Jade, followed by Equius. Meenah was placed by herself, followed by John at the next table. After him, to much debate, was Eridan.

"Truthfully, coach, I ain't too sure 'bout seating my stepbro next to no damn swimmate a his." Meenah complained loudly, leaning back in her chair. Her nails were long and sharp, and Tavros could hear her drumming them on the table loudly. "Ain't right, ya know? Cause, like, there ain't no telling what kinda shenanigans those two could get up ta."

"You insuinuatiteing that your stepbro's as evil as you?" Roxy taunted from her seat in the back, the words no less vicious despite the stumble. Meenah whirled around so fast that her twin braids flew around and narrowly missed John's face.

"Shut yer ho mouth, ya drunk-ass beach!" She screeched. Roxy stuck her tongue out, and Meenah toppled out of her chair to lunge at her. Roxy threw her own seat back, staggering uncertainly as she put her hands up in fists. Cronus and Jake egged the two girls on by pounding on the table, catcalling and hooting, though Dave shrunk down a bit in his chair.

"Meenah, be seated this instant!" Kankri was on his feet as well, having pushed his chair back in order to stand. His hands were flat on the table, and he was practically screaming to be heard over his teammates. Tavros couldn't help but admire him just the tiniest bit; he knew if he were in such a situation with Vriska, he wouldn't have the courage to try to speak up and stop her. "You don't know this team! What you're doing could be very triggering to someone, and you could potentially offend them greatly! You should t- - -are you listening?" Feferi's older sister didn't look like she was listening; she was climbing over Jake, who stopped hitting his desk to act as a buffer for the two girls by grabbing her around her waist. Roxy looked as if she was lunging drunkly, or trying to, but Cronus had gotten up as well and was holding her arms back.

"Free hit, Catfish, if you can get to her!" He yelled joyfully, snickering when Roxy tried to kick his shin and stumbled over her own two feet. Meenah let out an incomprehensible snarl when Jake stood up, holding her in the air above the table with his shoulder.

"MEENAH, SIT BACK DOWN THIS INSTANT!" Kankri's voice was shrill and unyielding; he overcame his fear of Vriska in order to step around her and get in Meenah's face. She swung at him and he grunted when her fist connected with his face, but he turned right back to face her and actually glowered at the older Peixes. "YOU WILL STOP THIS AT ONCE! MEENAH PEI- - -"

BLAM!

"SIT. YOUR ASSES. DOWN!" Everyone scrambled back to their seats, eyes on the Prospit coach. His gun was still in the air, though there was decidedly less smoke than Tavros thought there should be from a freshly-shot gun. Cronus and Meenah shared a victorious look, but Roxy and Jake looked completely ashamed of themselves. Tavros himself was shrinkimg in his seat, lowering himself until only his eyes were visible above the tabletop. He glanced at what teammates he could see: Gamzee was straighter than normal, his back stiff and tense, a hand curled into a tight fist. Vriska looked floored, as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. Eridan and John, both sitting in the front row and therefore closest to the coach, looked utterly terrified. John seemed close to tears as he turned to face Dave, who mimicked Karkat's shoosh papping from the table. Eridan turned to glance behind him, presumably at Sollux, but Tavros couldn't see his reaction.

"Now." The coached lowered his gun, glancing almost apologetically at the Parcel Mistress, "You girls are going to pull yourselves together and sit down to take these tests." He pulled out scantrons and counted out seven scantrons, slamming the first seven down on Jane's desk, and another seven for Equius; there was a disgusted look on his face as he pulled away, so Tavros guessed that the Scholastic had begun sweating profusely. "The sooner we take these, the sooner you all are out." The next seven were slammed even harder in front of Meenah, and for the first time since Tavros saw her, she looked uncertain. He leaned down until his face was inches from hers, and Meenah actually began leaning back as he snarled, "We will all abide by the rules, yes?"

"Yes, Coach." Meenah said quietly. She took the scantron, her hand shaking lightly as she began writing her name. Still sneering, the coach moved down the rows slamming the seven scantrons onto the table. Parcel Mistress followed behind him, gently placing a test packet on the table. She offered a comforting smile to Meenah, but it faded fast when the Peixes pulled her black painted lips back and snarled at her. She rushed over to John, then Eridan, looking visibly shaken.

SLAM!

Tavros jumoed in shock when he looked into the dark eyes of the Prospit coach, not realizing that he was so close already. He squeaked, eyes widening when the coach spoke.

"You're not going to make it far if every little thing is going to scare you, kid."

"Hey." Gamzee leaned back and tugged at the Coach's shirt. "Leave my little motherfucker alone, motherfucker. Ain't right for you to be all getting your creepiness on him."

"Just handing out some advice is all." He moved along; Tavros envied Kankri for not jumping when he received his scantrons. Then again maybe he was used to it. This was his coach after all, though he didn't particularly look happy with the treatment. Kankri hissed something about triggers again, something his coach ignored in moving on to Vriska and then Roxy.

Tavros looked at Gamzee, smiling a bit when he saw the other staring at him almost thoughtfully with his nearly indigo eyes. The Honors student watched him a few seconds longer before digging through his pocket and pulling out his trusty bottle of pills. Tavros watched him as he flipped it open and tossed his head back, downing the pills dry like always, though he was interrupted when Parcel Mistress placed the Art test down on the table.

"Thank you." He said gratefully, watching as the Prospit coach marched back to the front of the room. He walked over to what Tavros would assume was the librarian's desk, turning the dial on a timer. Parcel Mistress hurried to finish passing out the tests, joining him at the front desk.

"There will be no cheating. You have an hour and a half starting now." He released the timer and slammed it hard on the desk. "Begin."

Tavros pulled open the packet and immediately groaned at the first question.

'1. Hopper focused on everyday life, although his works are usually set in

a. The country

b. Old buildings

C. Urban settings

d. Small towns

e. Commercial sites'

Without much hope, Tavros circled b and continued, hoping against his better judgement that the test wouldn't be too hard.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the second half of the scrimmage comences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mentions of current/past self abuse via cutting.
> 
> And by the way, I don't know if anyone was curious, but the answer to the question last chapter was C. XD haha

It felt like the whole day had gone by by the time all the tests were done. Tavros leaned forward on his desk, placing his scantron for Science in Gamzee's outstretched palm. Then he collapsed on his desk, using his arms as a pillow against the cool wooden surface of it. He felt drained mentally and exhausted; if this was what it was going to be like during competition season, Tavros wondered how he was going to be able to keep up.

From 8AM to 9:30, they had taken the Art quiz. That was followed by Economics, which was taken until 11. Tavros thought he heard the coaches discussing a break, but they took the language test first and took their fifteen minute break at 12:30.

As soon as the Prospit coach announced they could get up, the Alternian team gathered around Tavros and Gamzee. The Makara turned around, straddling his chair and placing his chin and arms along the back of it. Dave and John took it upon themselves to sit on the table to Tavros's right, John in Dave's lap. Karkat sat next to Gamzee, using the top of his head as an arm rest and putting his head on his hand. Equius stood slightly away from the group between Karkat and Dave, mopping at his forehead uselessly. His black tank top was drenched with sweat, as was the jacket he brought and the extra towel. Eridan sat on the desk to Tavros's left, forcing Sollux to sit across him to Gamzee's right. Vriska hit Kankri with her shoulder hard enough to make him wince on her way to join her team; Tavros could see, out of the corner of his eye, the older Vantas grab her arm and turn her around.

"I apologize for stopping you so harshly," He said as he released her arm like she burned him, "but I felt compelled to give you some simple advice." Vriska raised an eyebrow, something Tavros recognized was a warning, but Kankri took it as an invitation to continue. "Indeed, touching someone without their express consent could be problematic for some people, myself included. It is very uncomfortable and could potentially be triggering. All sorts of unpleasant memories can sprout from a simple touch on another person, which is not something that is often thought about. It leads to careless touches that might actually end up harming someone. You should either refrain from touching other people in the future, or perhaps you could warn them that such an occurance could happen."

"You're joking." Vriska looked back at her team incredulously, as if asking if he was for real. Karkat groaned and buried his face in his hands, refusing to look up.

"No, unfortunately, I'm not." Kankri cleared his throat to start again, but before he could Vriska whirled around and socked him squarely in the face. The older Vantas's arms windmilled as he stumbled back a few steps, though no cry of any sort escaped him. He merely took the assault and Tavros winced in sympathy; a Serket punch was certainly no laughing matter. Tavros had been on the receiving end of far too many himself to not know how much damage Vriska could do with one hit. Kankri would be carrying that mark for at least two weeks, added to the bruise already swelling on his cheek from when Meenah hit him earlier in the morning.

"Trigger warning!" She shot out sarcastically, shaking out her hand a bit. "I'm going to punch you in the fucking face, you obnoxious asshole."

"Water you doing over there?" Meenah's voice snapped out. The whole Alpha team was staring at them in annoyance, though it wasn't even Vriska they were watching. All eyes were on Kankri as he picked himself up and gathered himself enough to look over at his team. "Kankri, ya aimin' to piss the brines outta every single one a us stuck in this damn shell? Git your ass over here."

"But- - -"

"No buts." Jake looked pained, but he motioned for Kankri to go over. "Join us, chap, so that we may plot out our best course of action for the actual tests." For a moment, his forest eyes shifted slightly and narrowed. "After all, we have no reason to waste our best efforts on this particular team."

"Jake…" Kankri said warningly as he walked over, hand over his eye. He sounded a bit subdued, though, and he quietly took a seat on the table beside Cronus. The older Ampora absently placed a hand on his back, his eyes focused on Meenah as she tossed her head back.

"I can't believe him!" Vriska snarled, slamming her hands on the table behind her. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"My brother." Karkat glowered at the Alpha team, staring straight at Kankri. Tavros followed his gaze; Kankri was sitting silently amongst his teammates, hand pressed firmly over his eye where Vriska had socked him. Karkat made an irritable sigh that caught the Nitram's attention, and Tavros looked back in time to see a passing look of worry cross his face. "He's always been like that, ever since we were fucking little. Dumb ass never learned to shut up."

"Nobody told me how hard those teth were going to be!" Sollux groaned loudly with the clear intent of changing the subject; Karkat whipped his head around, taking the subject change with ease.

"That's why I told you to fucking study, bulgemunch." He snapped his teeth. "We're almost done. Just hold out a bit fucking longer." He crossed his arms and sniffed in disdain. "We haven't even gotten to Super Quiz yet."

"Shove off, Kar, it's not like you're doin' any better." Eridan remarked tiredly, rubbing his temples. "Sides, we've only taken three tests. That still leaves four to go before we can get free. Not to mention the damn ribbon handin out they wanna do too."

"Fuck you very much, asshole." Karkat hissed in retaliation. "Congratulations on your fucking ability to count!"

"What, uh, what kind of school…" Everyone turned to Tavros, who shrunk back just a bit. He'd automatically spoke up to avoid a fight, though he wasn't sure why he did. It seemed like everyone was too worn out to do anything but fight in his group, and Tavros didn't want a breakdown of his team in what seemed like such hostile territory. Gamzee found a way to understand in that roundabout way he had; the Makara reached out and placed his hand on the desk, palm up and open. Tavros reached out and took it gently, ignoring Vriska's gagging. "What kind of school is this?"

"You've never heard of Prospit Private?" Vriska asked, shock tinting her face and voice. Eyes wide, she turned to Equius. "You hear that, horseboy? He never heard of this school!"

"I must admit that I have never heard of Prospit Private either." He admitted. "Though with the team we're up against, perhaps it would be best to know now."

"Ya shoulda known sooner." Eridan glanced over at the Alpha team, then leaned down. The Alternia team imitated him, though Vriska ducked under John to sit on the floor and Equius was very carefully not touching anyone. "It's a school for lost cases. The ones that regular public school can't handle anymore."

"I thought I recognized this place." Sollux whisper-hissed. "My twin used to come here." He gestured his head to the side. "Was on the damn team too."

"Well, where the hell is he?" Karkat snapped. "And why the fuck didn't you say anything sooner?"

"Obviously because he doesn't go here anymore, idiot." Sollux growled. "He came back home at the end of last year, when the school year ended."

"I didn't think they sent anyone back home." Eridan's brows furrowed. "Least, Meenah and Cronus never came over."

"They do." Karkat contradicted. "Kankri comes back every other fucking week." Eridan looked particularly troubled by that, and he glanced worriedly at the Alpha team again. Karkat snorted. "He's informed me more than once that Meenah and Cronus always get fucking caught doing something or other whenever time comes up to send them fucking home. That's why they've never gone down." Karkat took in Tavros's and Equius's confused expressions and elaborated. "Prospit Private is kind of like a fucking dormitory school. It takes in locals, but also students around the fucking country."

"They come here for various stuff." Eridan added, taking over for Karkat. "Drugs, violence, suicides an the like. Like Mee an Cro, for example. Mee's here cause she beat the crap outta two guys in her junior high years. Both a 'em ended up in the hospital for about a month. An Cro, he's here cause he had some fucked up drug habit." Tavros glanced at Cronus uncertainly; he certainly looked fine, not like he was rehabilitated from drugs, but then again appearances could be deceiving. And Meenah…

He was suddenly glad for Jake's interference with the two girls. Though he had been egging them on, at least he attempted to stop it. Unlike Cronus, who had simply gone and given Roxy a disadvantage against Meenah. The Alpha team was looking less and less appealing the more Tavros learned about the school, and he was starting to wish that he'd never brought the school up to begin with.

"They bring em here so that they're kept separated from the rest a us, cause they're like troubled cases, right? They bunk here, get their high school degree an then they're gone in the wind." Eridan continued, gesturing in an obscure direction. "The really hard cores, they stay to get their college degrees if they gotta."

"They're really smart too." John cut in as well; his glances were less nervous than Tavros's, awe in his blue eyes as he watched Meenah trap Roxy in her arms and sink her teeth in the blonde. Roxy yelped in pain and swung her arm back, missing Meenah and hitting Jake by accident. "They're always going to State. Or even Nationals, didn't they win that one year?"

"Last year." Sollux confirmed sullenly. He looked a cross between furious and worn down, pulling into his giant yellow sweatshirt. Eridan reached over and placed a gentle but uncertain hand on his shoulder, a comfort that the Captor leaned into. "They won when my brother was on the team. He got the highest score a Varsity's ever gotten, almost 6000 total. There was a big debate over whether he was a Scholastic student posing as a Varsity, and the trophy was almost given to the runner-up."

"Amazing." Equius looked astounded, sweating rapidly. "Pardon me." He practically bolted towards the door, banging it against the opposite wall. The Alternian team shook their heads.

"Your brother was really here?" Vriska snorted. "Wait- - -shit I remember him!" Her shark grin came out. "I forgot about him! He dated Terezi's older sis. So why did he get sent back home?" She asked curiously. Sollux squirmed a bit as she studied him impatiently, her eyes practically glowing at the thought of new gossip information. "And not get invited back?"

"Fuck off Serket." Karkat cut in before Sollux could answer. "It's none of your damn business. Right now, we need to put all our fucking energy on defeating every single goddamned Alpha kid." Equius sheepishly re-entered the classroom, stepping quickly to rejoin his team. Karkat sent him a quick glance and the corner of his lips twitched in a smirk. "Now let's get ready to kick ass."

"Five minutes left." The Prospit coach droned from the front of the library. He was sitting at the librarian's desk, feet up on the polished wood, with a book in his hand and a bored expression. "Finish what you're eating and get to your seats."

Without any further talking, the Alternia team dispersed. Karkat and Sollux went back to their seats, Vantas dragging the other Varsity. Eridan followed to his seat, Equius and John behind him; Dave gave them a salute before steeling himself and going back to sit at his table. Vriska let out an annoyed huff before stomping back to her own seat, shooting venomous glares at Kankri still seated by Cronus. Gamzee didn't move, still staring at Tavros with his glazed expression and their hands intertwined.

"How you holding up, motherfucker?" He asked lazily, fingertips rubbing gently where they rested. Tavros felt his face light up, a warm feeling pooling in his stomach.

"I'm doing all right." The Nitram admitted. "How are your tests going, Gam?"

"Motherfuckers are easy as pie." Gamzee grinned, showing off all his teeth in a way that was familiar to Tavros. "Wish I'd brought some motherfucking Faygo, but this motherfucker was all up and motherfucking out of it. Karbro wouldn't let me grab any."

"Karkat's still at your house?" Tavros asked, frowning a bit. "He's, uh, over a lot, isn't he?" Gamzee raised an eyebrow and the Varsity realized that he came off as sounding jealous. Flushing darkly, he tried to yank his hand away from Gamzee's, though Makara wouldn't let him. Instead, Tavros ended up gesturing wildly with only one hand. "Not that, that there's anything wrong- - -! Um, I mean, uh, I know Karkat's your best, uh, motherfucker and all, but, um- - -"

"Chill, Tavbro, chill!" Gamzee laughed easily. Tavros took several deep breaths, his face flushing a dark shade of red. "Karbro just likes to get his motherfucking relax on at my place sometimes. It's easier on a brother to have a main place to hang out and get his chill on rather than to bounce around like always." Almost immediately, Gamzee looked stricken, his eyes darting over to where Karkat was already shouting abuse at Jade.

"Why- - -" Tavros started to ask; he was interrupted by the Prospit coach slamming down on the floor.

"Break time's over, kiddies." He stood and grabbed the mathematics test, grinning evilly at the collective groan of Prospit and Alternian kids alike. Stalking down the tables once again, he slammed the packets down. Tavros watched him start from Cronus this time, and leaned forward a bit to poke at Gamzee.

"What does that mean?"He asked shook his head, and Tavros sat back in his seat. Frowning, Tavros debated the merits of continuing to bother Gamzee, but decided against it when he realized the Prospit coach was by Vriska.

He didn't want to have a gun pointed in his face, fake or otherwise.

From 12:45 exactly to 1:15 was mathematics, and after that was music. At 2:45 was the social science test, and by the time 4:15 rolled around, they were done with all of the tests.

Which brought Tavros to where he was now: placing his scantron on Gamzee's open palm, leaning on his desk as if it was the most comfortable thing in the world. Gamzee smiled at him encouragingly, ruffling his mowhawk in an attempt to cheer him up. Tavros leaned into the soothing contact unconsciously, not listening to what the Prospit coach was saying until he felt himself being lifted out of his seat. Turning a violent shade of crimson, the Varsity student looked up into the indigo tinted eyes of one Gamzee Makara. Heart racing do fast he couldn't hear anything else, Tavros simply stared up at his best friend in slack jawed awe.

"Time to join our brothers and sister and motherfucking chill, Tavbro." The much taller Honors student informed him. Without waiting for a response, Gamzee strode across the library to where the rest of the team was gathered around Eridan and John, dutifully ignoring the loud wolf whistles that echoed from Meenah and Cronus. Depositing Tavros gently in the chair next to the table, Gamzee made sure the Varsity was comfortable before taking a seat on the floor.

"Gonna make a guy do all that work, then you're just gonna let him sit on the floor?" Tavros jumped when a deadpan voice rang out from behind him. He whirled around to see Bro Strider with his head on his hand, eyebrow barely visible over the top of his ridiculously pointy anime shades.

"Di-Stri…" Jane said warningly, sitting primly in her seat as she read. Meenah leaned over her and rubbed her head roughly, making her hair stick out oddly and knocking her blue headband on the floor.

"Ja-Cro." She mimicked; with a practiced ease, the other Peixes leaned over and grabbed both ends of Roxy's scarf, pulling them in opposite directions and successfully choking the blonde girl. "Ro-Lal."

"Fuck…off…" Roxy gasped, falling back against the table. Her position put her in the perfect place to kick Meenah in the face, and she threw her body back to achieve that goal. "Heinmious…batterwitch…"

"Heinmious?" Meenah laughed in the split second before Roxy's shoe collided with her face.

"Roxy!" Kankri sounded scandalized, looking a bit more recovered than he had at 12:30. He moved to get between the two girls again, only to be pulled back into his seat by Cronus.

"Let it go, Chief." He drawled, leaning back in his seat and putting his feet on the table. Jade looked vaguely disgusted, the expression deepening on her face when Cronus blew her a kiss. She got up and sat on the other side of Jake as Kankri started half-hearted protests, words that were silenced when Cronus draped his arm casually around the back of Kankri's chair. "Let it go."

"Cronus Ampora, you remove that arm now or so help me- - -"

"GIT BACK HERE, LALONDE!"

"Only if you can catch me, Peixes!"

"Meenah! ROXY!" Kankri managed to push aside Cronus and get up to try and stop the girls just as Feferi's older sister grasped Roxy's hair; Meenah finally directed her attention away from Roxy, though her face fell from half-furious to purely menacing. Baring her teeth and growling, the Honors student dropped Roxy hard enough to make her bang her head on the desk.

Roxy shouted an expletative, causing Jane to slam her book down and stomp over to the inebriated girl. At the same time, Meenah made a rushed beeline towards Kankri. Karkat's older brother held his ground for a few moments before attempting to use Cronus as a shield. Meenah seemed to anticipate such a movement, as she darted around her stepcousin and grabbed a hold of Kankri's arm.

"Stop it, Meenah!" He shouted. Panic and pain seeped into his voice, but Meenah spun him around and pulled him against her. Malicious intent seemed to light up her face as she grabbed his long sleeves in her hands. Kankri struggled against her, but it didn't do anything but push him further against her. The Alpha team was watching with bored expressions, but the Alternian team were in such shock at their behavior that none of them could move.

"Trigger warning, squirt!" Meenah cackled, tightening her grip on his sleeves and yanking them up. Her nails scratched into his skin, leaving faint pink lines up his arms. Kankri fought harder, but he wasn't able to do much before his arms were exposed.

Lines decorated his arms, some of the even lines disappearing under the sleeves of his sweater. They were in various stages of healing, most just raised scars, but some were still fresh; blood trickled down his arm in some places where Meenah's nails caught on scabs.

"Hey, knock it off!" The sight of Kankri's scars seemed to spur Karkat into action. He slammed his hands down on the table, his face set in the darkest look Tavros had ever seen on his team leader. Even Gamzee, always ready to calm down his oldest and bestest bro, shied away from him. The Alpha team sudden seemed much more interested in what was going on; it didn't look like anyone stood up to the Peixes when she went off. Meenah sent her sharp grin in Karkat's direction, but neither of them stepped down.

She tightened her grip a bit more, pulling the crimson sweater over his elbows and revealing more scars. Karkat's scowl darkened, his whole body trembling in anger. He jerked forward, only to be pulled back by Sollux; the Captor stood beside his friend and gave Meenah a disdainful look.

"Perhaps you thould let him go now." He said; his voice was strong and even despite his lisp, but it only served to amuse Meenah further.

"Oh, really?" She taunted. "Ith that what I thould do?" Sollux's face tightened a bit and she laughed cruelly, tossing her head back.

"You're…triggering, Mernah." Kankri said clearly, his voice even despite the position he was in. He squirmed uncomfortably, which cause Meenah's nails to twist in his sweater.

"Oh, shut up, trigger boy." Meenah snapped irritably, shaking Kankri a bit. Karkat growled, and her eyes darted to him. "And you, ya better be damn shore not to trill on my bad side, cause it ain't gonna do you no good." Karkat snapped his teeth, and Sollux had to rush around the table to hold him back.

"Fuck off!" He snapped.

"Ya better watch yer step too, Captor." Sollux froze, and Meenah grinned a bit wider. "After all, we ain't exactly against goin after yet another one a ya. How's Tuna holdin up, anemoneways?" Her teeth glinted and her eyes narrowed, her fingers flexing threateningly. "Last I heard, he wasn't no better than a four year old."

Sollux yelled, turning his attention to attacking Meenah. She release Kankri to take him on, ignoring the loud rip in the fabric between her hands. Kankri stumbled a bit, looking down in horror at his sweater sleeves. Karkat practically sprinted around the table to get to his brother, snagging his arm around his shoulder and leading him over to sit with them. Kankri followed without any complaint, staring at his ruined sweater in shock.

"Oh, oh, oh, sheeeeit." Roxy drawled suddenly, pointing out at a pathway. "Coacheses are cummin- - -haha, uh, sorry, Janey, coming back!" She toppled over her legs, making 'shoo'ing gestures at the rest of the groups. "Sit down, shit down- - -haha." Everyone scrambled to sit back where they were, though Karkat gripped Kankri's sweater collar and refused to let him budge. The other Vantas was pulled into a seat next to Karkat, who stubbornly held on to his sweater. It was the first thing Parcel Mistress saw, and she clapped.

"Oh, intera-team bonds!" She jumped a bit. "That's wonderful, Karkat!" Karkat flushed darkly, looking away.

"He's my brother." He admitted grudgingly. Parcel Mistress blinked a couple of times before flushing darkly.

"Oh, goodness, I didn't realize!" She sent Kankri a warm smile. "You guys just look nothing alike really. I must apologize."

"That's quite all right. I am well aware of our differences in appearance" Kankri said absentmindedly, picking at the torn edges of his sweater. "Porrim will murder me." He moaned quietly to Karkat. "She worked so hard on this…" Karkat snorted but didn't answer.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which ribbon-handing commences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick mentions of Kankri's scars.

If the coaches knew any of what happened while they were gone, neither one of them said anything as they began setting up to hand out ribbons. Still, the overbearing tensions in the roon had Tavros keeping a wary eye on the team seated behind him, scooting just that much closer to Gamzee each time he did.

Eridan had been right: Meenah Peixes was so different from Feferi it was hard to believe they were related at all. It was subtle things that pointed it out, small stuff that Tavros noticed the longer he was there. They shared their fish puns, and their love for the fuschia color, but those were the only two obvious similarities. They both took pride in their hair ("Ow, Meenah!" "Cod dammit, English, can't you learn to kelp your hands away from my damn hair!" "Shucks, that hurt!"), though Feferi's was infinitely fluffier than Meenah's was. Meenah had the same shaped face as Feferi, though the older hid it with her glasses; Feferi was almost as tall as her sister, and they had a similar body structure: they were think and lanky, but curvy around their hips and chest. They held themselves with a sort of royal air, but where Feferi was friendly, Meenah acted as if she were a queen. She was treated that way, if the way her team reacted to her was any indication. She ruled over the Alpha team with a sort of iron will that Karkat didn't have, even with the inter-team fighting that happened in the Alpha team.

Cronus was so unlike Eridan, even if they were only cousins; Tavros remembered an Eridan from last year, a pompous one who hit on everyone and was a complete jerk. It was almost as if Cronus adopted Eridan's old personality and made it worse. Eridan was still a jerk; there were times Tavros caught him complaining to Feferi about the toils people like them have in common public schools, and some of the insults he aimed at Sollux were particularly biting for Tavros as well. But Eridan never made Tavros feel as trapped or as slimy as Cronus did with that one line. This year, Eridan seemed to have honed in on Sollux and stayed there, whether for better or for worse; Cronus blew kisses at Jane and flirted so poorly with Roxy the blonde girl made faces at him. Nothing he said seemed to have any effect on Bro Strider, but Jade would jump in to tell him to be sleezy somewhere else.

And Kankri…

Kankri Vantas was so much like Karkat Vantas that it was easy to tell they were related, even though they didn't look alike. Kankri was thin to Karkat's chubby, angles in the older where there was softness in the younger. His hair was white to Karkat's black, his skin shade far too pale when compared to his brother's healthy complexion, Kankri's eyes a few shades redder.

Yet they shared the same protectiveness of the ones around them. Karkat kept a hold of his brother, shooting furious glowers at the Alpha team. Kankri was giving his brother gentle shooshes, though he looked slightly pained to be touching someone else, and giving gentle assurances about Meenah that made the younger snort in derision. They had the same tendancy to go on rants, but Karkat's were furious ones that occurred when he was pissed and Kankri's were full of trigger warnings? Tavros wasn't sure, but they seemed long winded and occurred more often than Karkat's.

He was quiet now, though, and Tavros had to wonder how the day's events had taken toll on the older Vantas. From what it sounded like, the only new team member on Alpha team was Jade Harley, and she seemed to be taking everything in stride. Then again, it turned out she was Jake's younger cousin, so maybe he had given her an example of how the team ran before welcoming her to the fold. It also seemed that she was better-liked than Kankri was, which was a shame because Tavros didn't think he was too bad.

Then again, he'd only met the older boy today and it didn't look like even Karkat liked him, and Karkat was supposed to be his brother.

Parcel Mistress clapped twice, attracting the attentions of the two teams in front of her.

"So we scored all your tests, and you guys did so well!" She sounded excited as she spoke, while the Prospit coach handed his team their scantrons. Parcel Mistress did the same, though she had to keep checking her roster to make sure who was who. There was a bit of confusion because Kankri was still mourning the loss of his sweater next to Karkat, but it was easily fixed by Parcel Mistress handing him his scantrons with a warm and inviting smile the older Vantas didn't seem to notice.

Tavros's stomach sank as he looked over his answers; he'd given up on the book, so nearly every answer was wrong on his Language and Literature test. It was disappointing, sure, but such a low score had been expected given the circumstances. None of the others were much better, though, and Tavros felt his face scrunch up in confusion. He'd been studying! Days locked in a classroom, listening to Vriska and Karkat scream at each other with Sollux and Eridan and Feferi fighting in the background, then going home and doing his homework, reading over the material again only to go over it in the morning when he was barely awake enough to function. It was an arduous process, one that Tavros inadvertently signed up for and one that he was slowly getting used to. He'd spent the past two and a half months studying this way. Why weren't his tests showing that?

"Daaaaaamn." Sollux whistled as he compared a couple of his scantrons; he seemed to notice how down Tavros was getting just looking at his tests, and he leaned over Eridan in an attempt to simultaneously piss the Ampora off and cheer Tavros up. Eridan grumbled in annoyance, but slid his scantrons out from under Sollux, using his back as a makeshift table. Sollux grinned sharply at him momentarily, but went back to checking the differences between his scantron and Tavros's. Every once in a while his eyebrow would shoot up, but he made no comment other than "I really gotta step up. You're doing better than me, TV." Tavros sent him a weary look, not buying into his words.

"Shit, I gotta get my act together too." Karkat grumbled, leaning over Gamzee. He was picking up the scantrons Sollux put down, his brow furrowing as he looked two scantrons over at a time. "How the hell did you score higher than me on Social Science? Fuck!" Tavros looked down, wondering if they were joking, only to blink in surprise. Sollux's scantrons were completely red, save for his math scantron, each answer marked as incorrect. Several of Karkat's looked a bit more like Tavros's, like his Art scantron and the Science one, but there were still more red marks on his other ones.

"Language, Karkat." Kankri reprimanded absently, looking at his own scantrons with interest. Karkat rolled his eyes, leaning to see how his brother scored. Kankri angled himself so that his younger brother couldn't see, prompting an enraged growl from the Alternian team leader. The barest himt of a smile crossed Kankri's face as he cleared his throat, though he pretended to not realize what his younger brother was doing. He leveled him a raised eyebrow and slightly smirking face. "What are you doing, Karkat?"

"I'm trying to see how you did, fuckass." Karkat snapped irritably. He tried to crane around, but Kankri kept twisting around so that he couldn't see.

"Watch your language, Karkat, what you say can be very offensive." Kankri sniffed. His hands went under the table, hiding his scores even further from Karkat's view. Karkat rolled his eyes, leaning to see any other scantrons, but Kankri slammed his other arm on top of them, blocking even more. "I, for one- - -"

"Whoa, Karbro, check it out." Gamzee plucked one of Kankri's scantrons out from under his arm, making him squawk in surprise; he hadn't realized that someone was sitting on the floor between the two of them. "Motherfucker's got a near-perfect half of his motherfucking scantron." He ignored Kankri's shocked gasps, easily keeping his scantron out of reach. "Damn, bro, you are one smart ass motherfucker. I don't know, man, maybe it's just- - -oh, shit!" Gamzee attention had wandered, and Tavros squeaked in surprise as he was suddenly knocked askew. Makara slid to a stop by the door, where Jane had entered with a soda. She tensed in shock, eyes widening when Gamzee grabbed her shoulders. Kankri's scantron was still in his hand, the paper crumpling against Crocker's shoulder and making the older Vantas wince. "Is that a motherfucking Faygo?"

"Y-Yes?" She squeaked as an answer.

"Gamzee, sit down." Parcel Mistress snapped her fingers, and Gamzee immediately turned his head to look at her. She pointed at a vacated seat, one between Karkat and Tavros, and Gamzee obediently followed her orders. Releasing Jane with a slightly disappointed sigh, he began slinking over and dropping down beside the two Varsity students. Despite the chair, the Honors student sat back on the floor, glancing wistfully at Jane.

"We have ribbons to hand out for your tests." Parcel Mistress shot a weak glare at the Prospit coach, which showed how unhappy she was with what she was about to say next. He just shrugged, flipping through the same three papers stapled together over and over without actually reading them. "Ribbons will be handed out to the highest scores accordingly. We have first, second, and third-place ribbons for each subject and each team rank."

"So, for third place in Varsity for Art is Crocker." He stated, leaning against the librarian's desk. Parcel Mistress turned around, mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, but he plowed ahead. "Second place is Harley." He sounded bored as he spoke, flicking through his papers continually. "And first place is- - -"

"Karkat!" Parcel Mistress blurted out. She covered her mouth with a squeak, glancing apologetically at the Prospit coach for a moment before clearing her throat and turning around. Red faced, she handed the third place ribbon to Jane, who thanked her quickly and moved out of the way for her teammate.

"Right." The Prospit coach sniffed and looked down at the paper again. "Third place in Econ was Vantas." His eyes flickered to the brothers and he sneered in disdain. "The younger one. Second goes to Harley. And first is Nitram."

Tavros blinked in surprise, but stood up and walked forward. His coach still looked red in the face, though she held six ribbons in her hand. The red ribbon was in her other hand as she tried to hand it to Karkat. Karkat was talking to Parcel Mistress about something and wouldn't take his ribbon, which meant Tavros was stuck behind Jade.

"Hi, I'm Jade." She said stiffly. Her hand was outstretched, and she looked almost as if she regretted saying anything while they waited for Karkat to shut up and get his ribbon.

"Tavros." He took her hand and shook it. "I'm sorry about Karkat." Tavros wasn't sure why he said that, and Jade certainly looked as if she didn't expect it. He was about to try and backpedal when she threw her head back and laughed loudly, gaining attention from several Prospitian and Alternian teens that went largely ignored by the both of them. His stomach fluttered, and Tavros felt himself go just a bit red.

He'd never made a girl laugh before, not without doing something completely humiliating that made her laugh at him.

"Sorry about my team." She responded when her laughs calmed into giggles. Tavros smiled at her again, though it faltered when Karkat glowered at him around her. Jade noticed as well, and gave him a sound hit on his head. "Well, hurry up, mister, and maybe you wouldn't have to hear me right behind you, huh?" Karkat refused to answer her, but he did grab his ribbon more forcefully than needed.

As he passed, Tavros could hear his teeth grinding together.

He took his ribbon after Jade, following the other girl as she went to sit next to her cousin. Taking his seat again, Tavros yelped when Gamzee scooted over and wrapped his arms around the Varsity's legs. His face paint rubbed off onto Tavros's pants when he began rubbing his face against Nitram's jeans, but it didn't bother him; instead, Tavros reached down and rubbed his head in response.

"You're not supposed to be fraternizing with the enemy, fuckass!" Karkat hissed, ignoring his brother's continued admonishments. He waved away Kankri's half-heard protests about language, glowering darkly between Tavros and Jade; Harley noticed and stuck her tongue out at him. He snapped his teeth at her, but when he tried to do the same to Tavros, Gamzee reached up and papped the side of his arm; it was the highest Makara could reach from his position, but it wasn't as effective as he'd probably hoped because Vantas turned his snarl on him.

"You are!" Tavros shot back with a hiss. Jade didn't seem that bad, even though she was on the Alpha team; Tavros was beginning to wonder why she was even at the school.

"That's different!" Karkat's flush was barely visible, but it was there. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at his brother, who had given up trying to pacify him and was instead picking at the unraveled thread of his sweater. Several scars and scabs were still visible, and Karkat scowled fiercely.

"Just because he's your brother doesn't make it any different!" Tavros pointed out. He wasn't sure why exactly he was still arguing against Karkat; usually he would let the Vantas yell at him and follow his instructions afterwards. Kankri seemed to sense that Tavros said something he could talk about, because he perked up a bit and returned attention to Karkat.

"He has a point, Karkat, if you would just- - -"

"Shut the fuck up, Kankri." He snapped, closing his eyes and rubbing at his temples.

"Karkat!" Parcel Mistress's voice cut through their hissed argument; all four boys snapped their heads up guiltily, even though Gamzee hadn't been arguing. Jade snickered from behind them, prompting an icy glare as Karkat stomped up to the coach. She smiled, holding out a red ribbon that he snatched; his face crimson, he plopped down in his seat and didn't sat another word.

The ribbon handing out followed to the same effect. Sollux won the first place ribbon in Mathematics, having gotten a near perfect score that blew the whole Varsity competition, and Karkat got the second ribbon, which made Meenah's teeth grind because Jade only got third place. Jane got a first place ribbon in Music, her face flushing with pride as she shyly accepted the ribbon. Tavros got one for Social Science and one for Economics, which wasn't something he'd expected at all; Jade had gotten the second place ribbon and high-fived him as they walked past each other each time. Karkat took the Science test by a landslide, followed by Jane and Jade. Tavros was sure to give Jade a wide smile, which she responded to in kind and waved at him.

Scholastic and Honors passed much in the same way; it was the same ribbons handed out on the same subjects, but for different scores. He tried to focus, watching as Kankri accepted a ribbon and Equius followed, but the day resumed its toll on his mind and body. Tavros was so tired that he stopped noticing who got ribbons in those categories unless it was Gamzee or Kankri, and only the two of them because they were the closest to him.

He was starting to doze off when he felt himself get picked up again. Opening his eyes blearily, Tavros took a moment to take in the face of Gamzee once again holding him. He didn't comment, though the Makara smiled soothingly at him for a moment before his gaze was moved to Karkat. Tavros thought he heard conversation, but he coukdn't place who was talking and ended up closing his eyes again.

When he woke up again, it was to Nepeta's face right in front of his. Too tired to even squeak properly, Tavros just blinked a couple of times until her voice finally came through.

"Were the tests that hard?" She asked him. Yawning a bit behind his hand, Tavros nodded and pushed her away. Nepeta followed the movement of his hand, and Tavros used his gained distance to sit up properly. As he sat up, his back cracked, which made Karkat and Gamzee look over.

"You're up, motherfucker." It wasn't a question. Gamzee's gaze was lidded, though it wasn't an 'I'm high' like normal. His voice was rough and thick, and he looked more tired than Tavros felt; he was hunched down so low his head was almost level with Karkat's. He had his arms crossed, and he kept shifting around in his seat.

"Do us all a damn favor and just fucking take your damn medication already!" Karkat snapped, slamming his forehead against the window in irritation. Gamzee growled at him.

"I don't want to take that unmiraculousshit." His fingers flexed against his arms, where he was holding onto himself so hard he was leaving imprints. Kurloz, Tavros just noticed, was keeping an eye on his brother; his eyes kept darting between the road and the mirror, making sure Gamzee was keeping himself in check. The older Makara was imitating his brother's grip, though he was holding onto the steering wheel so hard his fingers were white.

"C'mon, Gam, just a couple?" Nepeta leaned forward again, making hypnotizing motions with her arm. Gamzee's pills rattled around, the younger Makara's eyes following the movement of the white bottle for a split second.

"No." Nepeta and Karkat slumped a bit more, sharing a despondant look with each other that Gamzee missed. Tavros, still groggy and unsure of the reason he was in the Makara car rather than the Serket's, reached out and placed a sleep-warm hand on Gamzee's shoulder. The younger Makara's head twisted around, and he stared at him with unblinking indigo-tinted eyes, but he was too tired to flinch or anything.

Dealing with the Alpha team was much more draining than he thought. He wasn't looking forward to competeing with them during competition season.

"Gamzee." Tavros's voice was heavy as well, though he didn't try to clear it. Gamzee growled a bit and turned his head again, staring resolutely out the front window. "Why won't you take your medication?" Gamzee's eyes slid to him, though his head didn't move and he didn't answer. Tavros cleared his throat a bit, becoming more aware the longer he was awake. He sat up a bit straighter. "What's wrong?" The Makara still didn't say anything. Tavros shifted a bit closer, his hand moving up Gamzee's arm and tangling his hand in the wild hair. Gamzee shifted a bit, turning his head so his gaze met Tavros's a bit more. The Varsity smiled. "At least one, ok?"

Gamzee growled again, but snatched his pill bottle from Nepeta. Without breaking his gaze, he downed a couple of pills and hunched back down in his seat. After a long ten minutes in which everyone kept a wary eye on Gamzee, the tension left his shoulders in an abrupt breath. His head dropped back against the seat, and he lazily reached up and downed a few more pills.

"Hey, Kurloz," Karkat turned his attention to the cars passing by, and though Kurloz did nothing to show he was listening, Karkat went on. "Can you drop me off at Porrim's? It's been a while since I've touched base with her." He smirked despondently, though he didn't seem to notice. "Besides, someone's gotta tell her that fuckass idiot's sweater got ripped."

"Papa will drop you off." Nepeta said a bit glumly. "What about you, Tavros?" He twisted around to look at her; Gamzee took this opportunity to lean over and place his head on Nitram's stomach. He was mumbling something, wrapping his arm awkwardly around the Varsity's waist. Tavros smiled and petted his hair, still facing Nepeta.

"What about me?"

"Do you wanna come ofur or do you want us to drop you off at your house?" Tavros sighed when Gamzee's arms tightened a bit.

"It couldn't hurt to come over for a few hours or so." He said, which made Nepeta light up. Reaching around Gamzee, he grabbed his phone and held it up to his face.

AdiosToreador began trolling RufioNitram

AT: uH, hEY, rUFIO.

RN: hey, l1ttle bro… what's up?

AT: iS IT ALL RIGHT IF, uH, i STAYED OVER AT, uHH, gAMZEE'S HOUSE?

RN: 1 guess… for how long…

"How long, Nep?" Tavros asked.

"Til motherfucking Tuesday." Came the muffled response from Tavros's stomach. He sent Gamzee a soft smile, which made Karkat gag exaggeratedly, but that the three ignored.

"Til Sunday." He corrected a bit gently. Gamzee grumbled a bit, but Tavros felt him nod in agreement.

AT: uH, tIL sUNDAY, pLEASE?

RN: dad won't be too happy… th1s 1s really last m1nute Tav…

AT: i KNOW, lET HIM KNOW FOR ME?

AT: tHANKS, bRO.

"This is me guys." Karkat threw the door open and waved. Kurloz pulled up to a quaint-looking house and had stopped without Tavros noticing. It was a medium sized house, with jade windowshades and two floors. The door was held partly open by a chair, and a familiar figure was half-bent over in a small garden beneath the open kitchen window. She had stood up when she heard the car approaching, turning just slightly to the side.

"Karkat?" Kanaya questioned as the Varsity descended onto the asphalt. He said his goodbyes to the people in the car hastily, slamming the door with more farce than necessary and stomping up to Maryam. Tavros watched as her gaze softened from flat-out confusion to pure gentleness, pulling off her gardening gloves. She reached out to Karkat, but he stomped by her without a word; she waved at Kurloz only briefly before stepping firmly and quickly after him.

From the kitchen window, Tavros watched as Kanaya caught up with Karkat, pulling him into a comforting hug just as Kurloz started up the car again and drove off.


	11. Intermission 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is another intermission with a new character.
> 
> Trigger: mentions of cutting

Intermission 2

\- - -: Be Present Kankri Vantas

Gosh, was he tired.

Kankri was sitting at his computer desk, staring at the wall. The screen was angled so that if he sat up straight like normal, he would be able to see the full screen with a slight turn of his head; but if he was doing what he was doing now, he'd be able to see the wall and mope without knocking it off the table.

And that's just what he was doing now- - -moping.

His lower body swiveled in his computer chair, twisting him around as much as he could without forcing him to sit up before spinning in the opposite direction. He was hunched over, his arms folded and crossed properly across the tabletop, his chin resting on his right wrist. His head was tilted slightly to the right, his mouth hidden by the sleeves of his ruined sweater. The shredded yarn scratched at his nose and upper lip, his skin cold where it was exposed against his lower lip. A scar was pressing into cheek, the raised skin hard against the soft skin on his face.

He hated it here.

The education wasn't bad, Prospit Private was the highest ranked private school in the whole country, quite possibly the whole world. The teachers all had years of schooling under their belts, and about eighty-seven percent of them were ex-military due to the amount of problem students here. The dormitories where certainly nothing to turn your nose up at, either; the rooms were across the street from the actual school campus, connected by an overhead bridge that was student access only. There was a separate hall for long-term students like him and about half of the Academic Decathlon team. Each year got its own hall as well, from seventh grade up to twelfth grade, and another campus entirely for those deemed necessary to stay until after college.

Kankri's own room had been his since seventh grade; the first time he'd attempted any type of failed maneuver to end his life. It was filled with mostly school-regulated things, but some of it was his own. The bed, pressed firmly against the wall and blocking about half of the only window he had in his room, was a standard single bed that was issued with the room. The bright crimson blankets and six pillows were his, the ones he brought from home when he was assigned here. His desk was the only other thing in the room, but his computer chair and desktop computer had been gifts from Porrim. There were no posters on the white walls, but he'd brought two pictures with him when he came in here. One was by his bed, taped with steady and careful hands to the window by his head: a picture of him when he was almost three, unsteadily holding a wailing baby Karkat in his mother's lap. The other was on the other side of the desk, pressing against his elbow and burning him through the red cloth, a picture of him, Karkat, Porrim, and Kanaya. They were all sitting together, just before he'd packed up and moved to Prospit.

No, he hated his school for one reason: Kankri Vantas despised Meenah Peixes.

He's not quite sure how it happened, to be honest. Kankri was sure that by the time his first year had gone by in Prospit, unable to go home and see his brother, he'd gained total control over his emotions. He'd stopped cutting, much to Porrim's relief, ignoring the urge each time it came up by throwing himself into his homework and the extracurricular activities that Prospit offered. Kankri had been a firm member of first Prospit's Decathlon Prep Team, then the actual Decathlon team; he was the president of the debate club, and his grades were appropriately high for his spot on his team. He made himself into a loner by choice, choosing to have few acquaintances and fewer friends, and had even lectured others on the possible triggers hating someone else could have, especially in the school of miscreants that they were in. He knew better, he did, but…

Meenah Peixes was a righteous bitch all in and of herself. She was cruel and violent to both those on her side and opposed. Kankri was her usual victim, had been ever since she arrived four years ago and realized that very few people actually cared about what happened to the eight grade boy with the giant red sweater. Meenah's favorite past time was insulting him in front of his classmates, going so far as to grab him physically when he refused to rise to her taunts. The students around them always watched; they didn't seem to care either way, as they never helped Meenah find him but at the same time, they never stood up to defend him once she had.

His door opened, and out of the corner of his eye Kankri watched as someone causally strolled in. The door was just barely in his line of peripheral vision, so his visitor was hidden by the angle he was at, the computer sceen, and the door. Nonetheless, despite his blindness, Kankri knew his visitor the moment they entered.

"You could've done more to stop her."

"I told you to let it go, Chief." Kankri whirled around, using his feet to bring himself to a short stop so that he wasn't spinning aimlessly. Cronus was sprawled on his bed, a cigarette dangling from his lips. It wasn't lit, but Kankri knew it was only a matter of time before Ampora tried to light it; the sight of it annoyed him even further, and before he could stop himself, he'd rolled over and yanked it out of Cronus's mouth.

"You're no better than the rest of the student body." He snapped, tossing the cigarette behind him. It landed on the table, but he paid it no mind. "By letting her run this school and team. You pretend to be so much better than the rest of us, like you're some other type of being entirely, but you're really no better than the rest of us."

"Aw, Chief…" Cronus groaned, his head hitting the pillow roughly as he sprawled out even more. "No lectures today, yeah? It's been one helluva day."

"You don't seem to be taking something like this seriously, Cronus Ampora." Kankri chided. He rolled back a bit, though he was in no way playful; Kankri's face was set in a scowl and he had his arms crossed firmly across his chest. "Meenah had no right to be using me as her usual punching bag. What if what she had done triggered someone on the other team? Karkat certainly didn't look happy to see my scars, and there had been no reason for Meenah to be taunting the other Captor on the well-being of his brother. How Mituna is nowadays is really none of her business if she's just going to use it against that family. Furthermore- - -"

"What the fuck could be triggering about asking a few questions about a former teammate and showing a bunch of stupid scars that- - -" Cronus cut himself off, face draining off all color as he threw himself up. Kankri's hands slid up and down his own arms, the raised wounds on his arms burning beneath his fingertips. He raised an eyebrow impassively as Ampora spluttered.

"As I was saying," Kankri shifted a bit, his voice cold, "it was rude of Meenah to show off scars that could potentially trigger someone. For example, if Miss Megido had deigned to not play hooky and had instead come to our scrimmage, she might have seen my scars as something that could bring back memories of her own suicide attempts. That could have had the potential to be very damaging to a young girl who has come so far in her own recovery, and it could have set her back in her progress." His fingertip brushed against the ruined edge of his sweater. "And furthermore, she had no right to be placing her hands anywhere on my person without my permission. Her actions have caused the destruction of my favorite sweater."

"You hate that sweater, Kan." Cronus groaned, though he didn't bother moving; he'd sprawled back on the bed, closing his eyes as if that would stop Kankri's wall of words.

"That is beside the point, Ampora!" Kankri cried. "Trigger warning, slight violence."

"Slight…?" Kankri reached over and very gently, slapped Cronus's knee. Cronus snickered at his 'violence', but it was followed immediately by words.

"Meenah doesn't understand the value of appreciating someone else's hard work." Kankri sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "It's true that I am not overly fond of this sweater, but Porrim put many long hours into the creation of this particular garment, and it would be rude of me to scorn her hardwork by insulting her so."

"Least now you can toss it." Kankri made an indistinguishable noise of rage, slamming his knuckles into the plush of the chair beneath him.

"Were you even listening to me?" He asked loudly. Cronus laughed and pushed himself up, reaching out and grabbing a hold of the chair by Vantas's leg. He shrieked, spouting something about personal space that Ampora ignored as he pulled the Scholastic towards him. His other arm went out and grabbed a hold of Kankri's arm when he started flailing.

"Calm yourself down, Chief." Cronus muttered in a way he thought was soothing; he wrapped his arm around Kankri's shoulders, pulling him in between his legs when he was close enough.

"Release me this instant." Kankri said stiffly. His body was tense, the hand not being held captive by the Ampora turning white from his grip on the seat. "I mean it, Cronus, do not touch- - -!" He let out a shrill yelp just as the door opened once again; Cronus had wandering hands and had gently papped the top Kankri's butt.

In an instant, Cronus was pulled almost violently away from Kankri by his ear.

"Exactly what is it you are doing here, Ampora?" Porrim Maryam trilled in a sickenly sweet tone. Her smile was pleasant as always, but her eyes were sharp and narrowed. She was dressed for home; a thin jade tank top that showed off her elegant tattoos, a black skirt that brushed her ankles and had a slit up to her thigh, her black ankle Docs, and all her piercings. "Surely you aren't picking on my little Kankri, are you?"

"Porrim, I resent- - -"

"Nah, Maryam, I was just leavin'." Cronus winced as she continued pulling his ear, leading him rather forcefully to the door.

"Very well, then, good day, Ampora." Porrim threw him out and slammed the door. She spun around as soon as the door clicked shut, her long hair flying around her as she advanced on Kankri. The Vantas stood by his still-spinning computer chair, watching impassively as Porrim reached him and picked up a ruined sleeve. She inspected it with a critical eye, sighing as she did. "God damn it, fucking Peixes. Why the hell is it always fucking Peixes?"

"Language, Porrim." Kankri intoned dully. He sat down on his bed, in the exact spot Cronus had been in. it was still warm, and he squirmed uncomfortably. His arm was held out at an awkward angle, but he knew better than complain to the skilled seamstress before him. Instead, he said, "I resent being saved as if I am a child that needs protection. Why did you even come, Porrim?"

"Well, aren't you just the most grateful of all these little punks?"

"You were a 'little punk' when you had been younger, Porrim, may I remind you." Kankri retorted with a small smirk. The playful banter was familiar, even welcome, after the stressful day that the student had just had. "You may want to watch how you refer to the students at this school."

"Please, Kankri, it's not like there's anyone here but you and me." They shared a smile before Porrim answered his question. "Karkat called me. He's just arrived at my house, and he wanted me to check on you." Porrim swallowed a bit thickly. "He's never seen Meenah lash out at you the way she did today. I think it frightened him, and he wanted to make sure that you were holding up ok."

"I didn't think Karkat particularly cared whether or not I was 'holding up ok'." Kankri said quietly. "He didn't seem to care until…" He trailed off uncomfortably, shifting again.

"You know your brother cares about you, Kankri Vantas, and don't you dare say otherwise." Porrim stared at him with a hard gaze, lips pursed in disapproval. "He was really shaken up, you know, he didn't realize her taunting went so far."

"I didn't want him to know." Kankri admitted softly. "It was better that he didn't."

"Was it?" Porrim questioned. Kankri fell silent, and she looked back down at his sleeve. "I'm going to have to repair it." She said, almost to herself. Smiling slightly, she tugged the red cloth experimentally. When it didn't rip more, she let out a sigh of contentment. "Luckily it can be fixed. Give it here, Kankri, and I'll have Kanaya help me with the sewing."

"Yes, thank you, Porrim." He sat up and took off his sweater, handing it to the woman as he sat himself back in his computer chair. Once he was completely sure his sweater was in good hands, Kankri rolled back to his computer desk and placed his head on his arms again. It felt weird, sitting in his room with just a plain white t-shirt on; there was a slight chill in the air and Kankri could feel each of his scars pressing into his face instead on the soft material. Surprisingly enough for him, he missed the comfort his sweater brought him.

A hand landed uncertainly on his shoulder, and Kankri tilted his head slightly to the side in acknowledgement.

"You don't want to come with me?" Porrim asked softly. "Kanaya would be happy to see you after so long, I'm sure, and Karkat's staying the night at my house as well."

"No, thank you, Porrim." Kankri said quietly. He cleared his throat a bit, hoping it wasn't thick when he spoke again. "I'm quite sure Karkat's had enough of me for one day, and I'm afraid I wouldn't make good company. I just want to get some rest. Perhaps another time would be more suitable." Porrim rubbed his shoulder as she sighed.

"Perhaps another time." She agreed, removing her hand when the Scholastic shifted uncomfortably under her hand. Porrim leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the side of his head. "I'll be back by Sunday night, ok? And we'll be sure to have you sweater finished."

"Good bye Porrim." He responded. "Send Kanaya my regards." Porrim ruffled his hair; Kankri listened as her Docs left his room and the door was shut once again, leaving him alone. Kankri stared at the wall, his lower body twisting as much as it could without forcing him to straighten up. His head was on his arms, feeling each imprint and imperfection on his skin. After a long moment, he sighed and placed his forehead on his arms.

Gosh, was he tired.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which studying (kind of) happens, and more new characters come into brief mention.

Tavros bounced a bit from his spot by Vriska, feeling a bit excited. They were walking to Sollux's house from school, since it was Monday and they decided on having an impromptu extra study session. The room that they were in was shared with the yearbook kids, though, and they had claimed the classroom for the day. Gamzee's house was also out, because his dad was having some sort of get together or meeting, and they couldn't be disrupted by guest noises while studying. After a few moments of intense debate, the team decided upon Sollux's house for the mere proximity of it; it was walking distance from the school, and his mother and brother would leave after he got home, which meant they would be alone in the house.

His phone went off and he stopped walking to pull it out, smiling when it read that he'd gotten a pester from Jade. Apparently, she used an app called "PesterChum" instead of "Trollian", which is what he and most of the Alternian team used, but they were compatible with each other enough that they could message each other whenever they wanted to. Which was relieving in terms of his own team; Karkat and Dave had gotten into plenty of fights because Dave wouldn't switch to Trollian. After all, Dave had stated explicitly that he would "never in his life even dream of downloading such a piece of crap like Trollian", and John had no room for both Trollian and PesterChum on his own phone.

AdiosToredor is being pestered by GardenGnostic:

GG: heya Tavros! :B

AT: hI, uH, jADE!

GG: you guys doing any studying?

GG: were just taking a break  
GG: all we seem to do is study!

AT: nOT YET  
AT: tHAT IS, uH, WE HAVENT STARTED STUDYING  
AT: bUT THAT IS, a THING THAT, wE WILL BE DOING

AT: sOON.

While he waited for a response back, Tavros stepped quickly to catch up with Vriska, who had stopped to let him write out the message in peace. She didn't say anything, but there was a tension between them that appeared, so thick it was almost tangible. Tavros frowned and opened his mouth to question it, but Vriska spoke up before he could.

"That our glorious leader wondering where we are?" She questioned in a forcefully casual tone, her hands shoved deep in her pockets. Tavros shook his head, and Vriska snapped her teeth in annoyance. Tavros didn't seem to notice, but his phone had gone off once again and his attention had been redirected to the mobile device.

"No, it's Jade." Tavros responded absently. Jade had somehow gotten a hold of his Trollian handle, and had been messaging him on and off since Sunday afternoon after the scrimmage. He made a friend that wawn't particularly connected to Vriska, and she was much nicer than Tavros had hoped. It made butterflies flutter in his stomach whenever Jade messaged him, and after the third message even Nepeta had stopped trying to figure out who he was talking to.

"Look, Torasnore," Vriska snatched the phone away from him, holding it over her head with her left hand. Tavros jumped a bit, cursing his short stature when Vriska didn't even have to move to keep it out of his reach. She mock-yawned and continued like he hadn't even moved. "I'm glad I managed to catch you alone."

"You didn't, uh, catch me." Tavros contradicted; he placed his hand on her arm and jumped, trying to lower his phone with his body weight. Vriska switched hands and he grunted in annoyance, scowling weakly at her. "You cornered me, in my English class, and uh, wouldn't let me leave until now!"

"Details aren't important right now!" Vriska threw the phone up and Tavros felt his body freeze- - -she had a habit of 'forgetting' about the things she used to play catch, and he couldn't afford to get a new phone at the moment. It buzzed as she caught it, and she looked at it in disgust before stuffing it in her pocket.

"Hey!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to tell you something!" Serket snapped irritiably. "God, Tavros, you really know how to make a girl feel special by giving her your full attention. I mean, damn, could you be any more interested in what I fucking have to say?"

"I'm sorry." Tavros glanced down, then immediately felt like slapping himself in the face. Dammit, he always fell for this! Vriska was always able to manipulate him the way she wanted him to, which was why she'd been able to pick on him for so long. Whenever he tried to stand up for himself, she either shot him down with her words, or manipulated him into feeling bad for trying to grow a backbone.

"Listen, buddy," Vriska wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling Tavros flushed against her side. His phone was still going off, and Tavros could feel it against his own leg, though Vriska ignored it. She shook him slightly, and he tilted his head awkwardly to look at her. "I'm just trying to pass on some friendly advice about your new pal, ok?"

"Your advice- - -"

"Is the best, I know." Vriska smiled smugly. "But that's beside the point. Tavros, you can't be fraternizing with the enemy, you know? That's just not how things are done here!"

"First Karkat, now you!" Tavros cried out, trying to pull away from Vriska and failing miserably. "What is it you guys have against Jade?"

"Nothing, of course!" Serket gasped, feigning innocence even with her tightening grip. "You can be best buddies with whichever lame-o can stand you the longest. The issue, Tav, comes from not Jade, but Prospit itself." She stopped them abruptly, placing both hands on his shoulders and leaning down to meet his eyes. "Would you really want to befriend someone from Prospit, of all places, even after you knew what kind of school it's like?"

"Jade's not like any of the rest of the team, or even the school!" Tavros fought against her, feeling anger stirring in his stomach. Picking on him was one thing, because that he didn't really mind so much, but being mean to Jade was uncalled for. Vriska knew nothing about her, and she shouldn't tease her just because she had been nice to him! "Jade is sweet and kind and- - -"

"Oh, you really believe that!" Vriska's voice turned soft and cooing, and she pulled Tavros against her again. He could feel her arms tighten around him, one around his waist and the other around his neck, her fingers stroking his mowhawk roughly. Though her voice was still pitying, Tavros could hear the undercurrent of cold steel in it when she spoke. "Tav, she's not really like that. Just because she had a few friendly words for you at the scrimmage doesn't mean she's suddenly your friend, you know. Harley's just as bad as Roxy, or Meenah." Tavros tried to pull away again, but Vrisks shooshed him roughly on the head, hitting Tavros hard enough to make him whine. "She's just using a different tactic against you. After all, Harley's in Prospit for a reason."

"It's not the same reason as Roxy or Meenah." He muttered rebelliously; he regretted it instantly when Vriska's fingers tightened in his hair and tugged on his mowhawk hard, making him yelp in pain.

"You don't know that." She snapped. "And to be honest, Tavros, we can't afford to let you have any distractions from the opposite team. The Varsity section is the one that makes or breaks our chances to get to State, and just because the Alpha team wants to use their newest member to prevent us from going doesn't mean that we have to fall for it!"Tavros frowned, opening his mouth to question whether the Prospitian team had really sabatoged the Alternian AcaDec team before, but he couldn't manage to get a word out. His phone went off again, having fallen silent when she hugged him, and Vriska yanked it out of her pocket with a scowl. "Dammit!"

"W-What are- - -" Tavros's eyes widened as he reached for his phone, knowing that Jade was probably still trying to reach him; Vriska danced out of his reach, snickering madly as her fingers flew over the key pad of his phone.

"Vriska!" Tavros gasped in horror as she threw his phone at him, grinning wickedly. With a sinking feeling, Tavros pulled open his Trollian app. He almost didn't want to; Vriska had the tendancy to be very cruel when she wanted to be, and it hadn't seemed like she was in much too friendly of a mood when she dragged him out from school by his collar. Being interrupted constantly by Jade wasn't helping her mood any, especially since it was her stand against Harley's offer of friendship Serket was ranting about, and it made Tavros worry about what she said to the Prospitian Varsity.

AT: fUcK off, if you d8nt mINNNNNNNND, pLEASE.

AT: nOOOOOOOObody actuALLY, uh, WANTS to talk tO yOUR STUPID, uh, 8uck-TEEth

GG: uh, Tavros? :(

AT: FUCK OFF.

AdiosToredore blocked GardenGnostic!

…well, it wasn't her absolute worst; if anything, Tavros could still salvage his friendship with Jade, if the Prospitian Varsity would listen to his explanation. Still, for an added testament of how unhappy he was at being forced to patch up a situation he didn't create for the sake of a stupid competition, the Nitram shot a wounded glare at his own teammate.

"Don't look at me like that, Tavvie!" Vriska cooed mockingly, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. Tavros tried to shove her hand off, but it didn't budge and he was stuck with her. "It's really for the best. You'll thank me later when we get to State, I promise. And besides, isn't it better that your true nature comes out now rather than later. After all, if she can't handle your true self and your true feelings, then she doesn't even deserve you as a friend, riiiiiiiight?"

"But, uh, that's not me." Tavros muttered under his breath. "That was all you."

"Them's the breaks, kid!" Serket said loudly, ignoring him completely and pounding his back for equal measure. "Focus now has to go fully on competition season so you can wipe the floor with Harley's smug-ass grin!"

"I don't actually want- - -"

"Toresnore, when you talk, no one can hear you!" Vriska sang, skipping and forcing Tavros to do an awkward run after her; she still hadn't removed her arm, making him just a little bit nervous. "You need to work on that to be honest. You can't go giving speeches when the judges can't even hear you, ya know! Talk about getting points docked off. All the judges are gonna give you zeros, and we'll never make it to State!"

"I'm getting better at that!" Tavros chimed in petulantly.

"Hey, John!" Vriska released Tavros mid-skip, making him skid a bit and fall forward. He landed hard on his elbows and forearms, stinging from the impact of the concrete. He let out a pathetic grunt of pain, muffled by his sweatshirt.

"Yo, is it comfortable down here on the floor?" Tavros lifted his head up with a small sigh, peering up into his reflection. Dave was crouched in front of him, hands on his knees, staring down at his fallen teammate. When Tavros didn't answer, he opened his mouth again. "Cause like, if it is, why don't ya scooch over a bit. Can't have you hogging all this sweet-ass comfiness all to yourself, right bro?" He made an impatient shooing gesture with his hand. "C'mon, man, we gotta get this party started asap, cause the sooner it starts, the less we'll have to fill our minds with the pointless garbage that is classified in our extremely long and absolutely astounding history as the fascinating Great Depression."

"Shut up, Dave." Tavros muttered, pushing himself to his knees with a wince. Something warm dripped down the inside of his sweater, staining the cloth. Tavros hadn't noticed it but Dave had; he grabbed a hold of Tavros's arm, yanking the sleeve up despite the Nitram's weak protests.

"Welp, you're dying." Dave said solemnly, dragging Tavros after him as he pushed between John and Vriska. Vriska stumbled back a bit from the force, but John just turned confused eyes on Dave. Strider answered his boyfriend's unanswered question with a slightly curt "Your spiderbitch is trying to kill our beloved little Tavros."

"Dave!" John admonished, but Tavros wasn't listening; Vriska was staring at his arms with a weird look in her eyes, and he wasn't sure how to take it. She didn't even react to Dave's nickname for her, which was odd. Serket never passed up an opportunity to bicker with her Scholastic teammate, a subtle hate constantly burning within her for whatever reason she had.

The moment was gone too quickly for Tavros to fully analyze it; before he knew it, Dave was pushing by Eridan to come to a stop next to Sollux as the Captor was trying to unlock his door.

"Dude," Dave pulled Tavros forward and displayed his arm. "Bandages, bro. We need them urgently, lest we lose a beloved Varsity to blood loss." He forced Tavros into a mock swoon, which made Sollux roll his eyes as he opened his door.

"In the kitchen, assholes." He told them, turning to address Eridan, Vriska, and John. "The rest of you can wait in the living room until everyone else shows up." Sollux then gestured for Dave and Tavros to follow him, leading them through the living room and into a fairly large-sized kitchen.

Dave pushed Tavros into a chair as Sollux disappeared through a door; the Strider wasted no time in yanking Tavros's sweater off, very nearly taking off his shirt underneath as well. Sollux came back to Dave sitting across from a pouting, flushing Tavros who was trying awkwardly to fix his shirt. Raising an eyebrow but making no comment, Sollux tossed a first aid kit at Dave and disappearing back into the living room.

They sat in silence as Dave disinfected Tavros's arms, listening as Eridan tried to put some moves on Sollux that the Captor denied and Vriska giggle about something John said.

"Why do you let her do this to you?" Dave asked quietly.

"It's not like it's by choice." Tavros muttered sullenly, wincing every now and then. The disinfectant stung his elbows, especially where he was bleeding, but Nitram knew better; his father would tell him, when he was younger, the more it stung the more the disinfectant was doing its job. It never made him feel better, but right now it gave him something to focus on.

"You gotta get better at defending yourself, bro." Dave told him as he began placing bandages on the cuts. Tavros let out an irritated breath through his nose, which made Dave's eyebrow raise behind his shades.

"I know that already." He said shortly, making Dave scoot back a bit and mockingly put his hands up. A shot of anger spiked through Tavros at his actions, and he scowled weakly at the Strider. "I'm obviously not very good at it."

"Whoa, bro, don't shoot the messenger knight." The Scholastic leaned forward again. "After all, what kinda knight would let himself be shot by a fucking page, am I right?" He waited a beat, but when Tavros didn't do much more than stare, Dave cleared his throat and focused on his arm. "I mean, maybe I should be all chill like an actual knight and take you under my knighthoodness and shit. Could give you a shit ton of lessons for shit, help you advance your echeladder to become your own bad ass knight just to be able to care for your own well being, ya hear?"

"I have, no idea what you're talking about, um, to be honest." Tavros admitted. Strider had lost him somewhere around 'messenger knight', and Tavros hadn't known whether to interrupt him or not. He ended up letting Dave keep talking, but the Scholastic had never gotten back on track and Tavros gave up on understanding him.

"Oh, hi boys!" A tired but cheerful voice came from behind Tavros, making the Varsity turn awkwardly to see Sollux's mom enter the kitchen.

"Hi." Tavros waved sheepishly with his bandaged arm as Dave worked silently on his other arm.

"How're your arms, hon?" Captor's mother 'tsk'ed in worry when she walked past, her brows furrowing a bit. She was pretty, with long blonde hair that was tied in a thick braid. She shared Sollux's heterochromia, though she was also more patient than the other Varsity; her touch was gentle as her hands ruffled Tavros's mowhawk. He wasn't given a chance to answer her before she continued with, "Boys, honestly. You need to be more careful, dear, else- - -"

A loud screech interrupted her, making the two boys jump in shock. Dave accidentally knocked over the bottle of disinfectant, but Sollux's mom groaned in frustration. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked into the hallway behind the kitchen door. Sollux followed seconds later without a word.

"Welp, you're finished." Dave cleared his throat awkwardly, and even Tavros found himself at a loss with what to say. He never really spoke to Dave, preferring John over his musically-inclined boyfriend. The Strider seemed to have joined the team for the sole purpose of being near his boyfriend; he picked fights with Karkat, Gamzee and Vriska, he completely ignored Equius, Nepeta and the Nitram, he was on ok terms with Feferi, Eridan and Sollux due to the similarities between the Captor and himself. The only people Dave really got along well with were Rose, Terezi and John, which made any other interaction with the Scholastic completely awkward.

Tavros was saved from haing to say anything to Dave by Gamzee throwing the door open, worry on his face and Karkat hanging off of his arm. The Makara seemed to caln down a bit when he saw Tavros, but a weird look crossed his face when he saw the large band aids on the Varsity's arms. Without much prompting from Karkat, unlike the last time, the Honors student produced a rolled up paper from his pocket and stuck it in his mouth.

"Ya all up and motherfucking all right, Tavbro?" With nimble fingers, Gamzee pulled out an indigo lighter and lit up, inhaling deeply so that the smoke entered his lungs. Almost immediately, the weird smell of weed filled the kitchen, and Tavros felt his nose wrinkle in distaste. Rufio had the habit of smoking weed now and then, but he always did it when he wasn't home; the stench still clung to his clothes, and since their room was small it filled the space quickly. Tavros hated the smell.

"He's fine, oh wonderous Grand Highblood." Dave snapped sarcastically, prompting Gamzee's eyes to dart to him briefly before returning to Tavros. The Scholastic snapped the first aid kit shut, purposefully getting between Tavros and Gamzee. He bent down so that his shades filled the Varsity's vision, mouth quirked in a smirk. Muttering so that only Tavros could hear his words but loud enough that Gamzee could hear that something was being said, Dave told the Nitram, "Be sure to hit me up if you want an advancement on your echeladder, got it, Page?"

He straightened and, with a careless smirk at Gamzee, strode after Sollux and his mother.

"The fuck happened to you?" Karkat snapped irritably.

"Vriska dropped me on the floor." Tavros admitted to them as he got up and approached the two of them. Gamzee immediately began fussing over him, wrapping a long arm around Tavros and pulling him into the Honors student's torso protectively. Karkat made a scathing remark that went unnoticed as Tavros closed his eyes and leaned a bit more on Gamzee. He had held onto this unconscious hope that Gamzee would protect him from Vriska, and was more than pleased that the Makara was there. They walked into the living room, where the rest of the team was gathered. Gamzee led Tavros to the sofa, Karkat yelling at John about wrestling playfully with Vriska.

"I've been called in for an extra shift, Sol, and your brother is having a bit of a bad day." Sollux's mother said apologetically, walking through the door into the kitchen. The walls were really thin, because the team fell silent and she was heard as clearly as if she had been standing amongst them. There was another set of footsteps as Sollux followed her, and they heard his voice through the walls.

"What's that thuppothed to mean?" Eridan groaned a bit when his lisp came out, and Karkat began seating them around the living room in an attempt to block out Sollux's voice. Eridan and Gamzee sat on the couch, which was big enough for at least four people; Tavros was pushed down into a seat by Gamzee, who wrapped his arm around the Varsity's shoulders, and Vriska seemed content enough to sit on the arm of the worn couch by Tavros. Dave claimed a spot on the floor, pulling John to sit next to him, and Equius sat down on the other side of a glass coffee table by Eridan's feet. Karkat sat in front of the television, scowling darkly when Sollux and his mother came back into the living room.

"C'mon, Mom, he can't be in the house!" Sollux whined at her. His mother was half ready, a jacket hanging off one arm and a shoe in her hand. She looked hassled and slightly preoccupied, searching frantically and clearly losing patience with her son.

"Sollux Captor, your brother isn't feeling well today." She snapped authoritively. Her tone was slightly distracted, and she gave Tavros a warm smile when he held out a shoe that had been hiding under his feet. "I can't bring him in with me when he's like this, and you know that damn well. You'll just have to figure out a way to get your studying done with him here."

"That'th all but impothible, Mom, pleathe, can't he thay with- - -"

"He's staying home and that's final, Sollux!" Tavros winced at how stern she sounded, like she was already fed up with the argument and just wanted to get going; it sounded just like his dad when he and Rufio fought over colleges. When she spoke again, her voice was closer to the door to the living room; to Tavros's relief, she sounded a bit more relaxed. "I should be home by ten or eleven. Make sure you and your brother eat; your friends, too, if some stay that late. All right?"

"Yeth, Mom." Sollux sounded resigned, and his expression mirrored the feeling as they stepped into the living room. His mother pressed a quick kiss to the side of his head, having to lean up a bit to do so, and Sollux mimicked the action automatically. His ears turned crimson under Vriska and Eridan's teasing looks and comments, but he didn't rise to the bait while his mom was around.

"It was lovely seeing you all." She waved at them as she grabbed her purse and a jacket. "Have fun studying!"

They all said their variations of goodbye as she closed the door behind her, leaving them in a semi-awkward silence as they sat in a circle around the living room.

"We thould head up to my room." Sollux said after a long while. "There'th more room, kind of, and I can get to my brother quicker if we're clother."

"Lead the way, then, Captor." Vriska stood quickly, sliding gracefully off the arm of the couch with an almost practiced ease; Dave and John followed behind, though Dave grumbled a bit about having to move just as he sat down.

Sollux's house was much bigger than it looked. It was only a single story, but it had been remodeled shortly before they moved in. It had five rooms, a kitchen, three bathrooms, as well as the living room. The living room and hallway to the bedrooms were connected to the kitchen; the first bedroom was the master, which belonged to Sollux's mom. The room directly across from it was an office space that went largely unused, mainly because it had belonged to the man who had fathered Sollux and Mituna before he split.

The room beside it was a guest bedroom, one that Sollux refused to open after a quick glance at Karkat's flushed face.

Mituna's room was right after it, the door closed and loud music audible through the wall and the door. Sollux refused to open this door as well, but it was more because he didn't want to disturb his brother if he didn't have to.

A bathroom was at the end of the hallway, and Sollux opened the door that was adjacent to Mituna's.

"Make yourselves comfortable." He said. "I have to check on my brother before we get started, so I'll be back in a bit." He vanished and they all looked around uncomfortably. Tavros shifted a bit nervously before leaning against the door to what he presumed was the closet, sliding down until he was sitting with his legs crossed.

It prompted everyone else to follow his example, much to his surprise. Karkat strode over and sat by Sollux's door, close enough to Tavros to be in a small group. Vriska, Equius and Dave sat by the foot of Sollux's bed, the two giving the Zahhak a wide berth. Eridan sat by Sollux's side table by the head of the bed, Gamzee sprawling on the floor beside him and John huddled up by Vriska. Just as they got comfortable, Sollux appeared with an irritated look on his face. His brother's music was much louder, audible even through the closed doors of both boys.

"Let's get started guys." He muttered. Dragging a small side table to the middle of the room, Sollux tossed his phone down in the middle of it. "Deposit cell phones so that we can get shit done." Tavros, Gamzee and John did so without complaint, though Karkat and Eridan grumbled a lot as they followed suit. Vriska's phone was wrestled away from her by Dave, who then calmly placed the mobile devices on the table and ignored Vriska's screeching. Gamzee had to order Equius to add his phone to the growing pile, which the Scholastic did after Makara blew a weed-filled puff of smoke in his direction. Sollux let out a groan and threw both windows to his room open with a dark glower at the Honors student.

They had only been studying for ten minutes when Sollux's phone went off due to a text message. The sound made them all look at the table, but when it went off a fourth time they turned their gaze to their host. He ignored it, turning the page of The Grapes of Wrath, but after that it turned into a constant stream of vibrations. Sollux gripped the corner of his book, a scowl forming on his face as his phone continued going off. Nobody was even studying anymore, just staring at his shitty phone dance around the table because of the constant vibrations. Just as Sollux reached for it, presumably to throw it somewhere were it wouldn't bother them anymore, it stopped. Tension seemed to leave Sollux, and he sat back in a sort of suspicious relief.

"STHOLLUTH!" The door was thrown open, the handle bouncing off the wall opposite of it. Someone stood in place for a moment before flying forward and wrapping his arms around Sollux's waist, whining and jabbering incomprehensibly.

"Fucking, get- - -Mituna, thit!" Sollux struggled to get the other off of him, resorting to slamming a fist into the other's lower back. Mituna whimpered with each hit, clinging tighter instead of releasing like Sollux wanted him to. Karkat grabbed Sollux's hand as it went up again, and the Captor shot him a furious look for only a moment; the tension left his body a second time and as Karkat released his hand, he twisted around to settle comfortably.

With an irritated sigh, he switched the book to his other hand and maneuvered his brother so that he wasn't pressed into his back. Mituna sighed happily for a moment, willing to relax against his brother.

"For those who don't know- - -"

"Which is pretty much fucking all of you."

"This is my twin, Mituna." Sollux went on with an irritated voice, though Tavros couldn't tell if he was annoyed with Karkat's interruption or the fact that his brother had crashed their study session even though he wasn't supposed to. "Tuna." He shook his twin's arm, and the same dual-colored eyes as Sollux's peered up from his arm, landing first on Karkat. Mituna smiled and used one hand to wave excitedly at the Vantas, who rolled his eyes and waved half-heartedly back. Sollux shook him again and pointed at his other Varsity teammate. "You know Karkat already, dumbass. That's Tavros."

"Hi, Tav-ros!" Mituna exclaimed excitedly, splitiing the Nitram's name into its two distinct syllables; it sounded weird, with a sort of accented 'a' and slightly deeper tone to the last three letters. Still, his enthusiasm brought a smile to the Varsity's face and he waved back shyly. Mituna was suddenly much more interested in listening to his brother, as he cut his own wave short that time and looked up at his brother with eager eyes.

"That's Dave." The Strider saluted, which Mituna seemed to think was hilarious; he burst into childish giggles that lit up his face with delight. Sollux nudged him a bit. "And Equius." Mituna's giggles died down as he stared at the other Scholastic before attempting to imitate his stern face. His attempt made Equius sweat, which made Vriska and Dave scoot over with disgusted noises. Sollux rolled his eyes, trying to turn Mituna's attention to John, but the other Captor tugged the bottom of his shirt.

"Who'th the?" He asked innocently, pointing at Vriska. Her face fell slightly, a confused look creeping on it as she realized that Mituna didn't know her.

"I'm Vriska." She stated, like it was information that should mean something to him. Automatically, she turned to Sollux with a laugh. "This is your brother? Damn, Captor, we should've recruited you earlier in that- - -" Vriska trailed off when she saw Mituna's reaction to her. "What the hell." Her tone didn't seem to register in his mind, and when he waved at her like he had Tavros, she actually scowled. "Serket, you blithering idiot. Vriska Serket. You know me, asswipe, we met last year for competition!"

Mituna continued looking confused, and the confusion did nothing but enrage Vriska even more.

"Look at me!" She snapped, making him wimper slightly. Vriska kneeled on one knee, gestures getting wilder and wilder as she spoke. "You know me, dammit, think!"

"His think pan's screwed." Sollux said quietly, cutting across her. Vriska's body seemed to lose its anger, and she sat back against the bed with a stunned look on her face. While she dwelled on that bit of information, Sollux cleared his throat and continued. "That's John, and Gamzee, and that one there is Eridan." John waved a bit uncertainly, blue eyes glancing between Sollux and his brother. Gamzee easily crossed the room without getting up from his spot, ruffling the blonde strands of hair that blocked Mituna's eyes. It made him giggle, and it was with giggles still on his face that he turned to Eridan.

He cowered back a bit before letting out an enraged cry. Eridan had only a few seconds warnng before Mituna lunged forward, teeth bared. He let out a yelp, though, when he was suddenly knocked back into the dresser behind him. His head was audibly hitting the drawer as he struggled with Mituna.

"FUCKING AMPORA!"

"TUNA!" Sollux roared, lunging after his brother. Tavros was eerily reminded of a similar situation only a few weeks ago, with Vriska instead of Mituna. He wondered, even huddled against the closet like he was, why everyone seemed to be able to get the jump on Eridan and go after him.

"BLUGE-SMEIKING NO-GOOD SHIOT-STRAINED FOTHERMUCKING- - -"

"TUNA, WHAT THE HELL?" Sollux managed to pry his brother off of Eridan, though it was with some difficulty; Mituna was straining towards Ampora, garbled insults falling from his mouth as Sollux yanked him back. Mituna fought fiercely, and Sollux pulled him kicking and screaming from the room. They could hear him as Sollux took him back to his own room, still cursing Eridan and banging things against the walls.

Vriska sat back, stunned and looking slightly hurt for only a moment before she rounded on Eridan. A furious look twisted her features, and her body was trembling in barely-controlled rage.

"What the fuck did you do, Ampora?" She growled through clenched teeth. John made a half-hearted attempt to get between her and Eridan, one that was thwarted when she pushed him out of the way without a second thought.

"Nothing, I sw-wear!" Eridan muttered thickly. He rubbed at his jaw, working it with his fingers. "Christ, can that kid hit."

"Must've done something to him, bro." Dave muttered suspiciously.

"W-Why dontcha come an say that to my face, Strider!" The Ampora growled fiercely, moving to get up. John tried to hold him down, but he wasn't strong enough to keep the other Honors student down. Tavros squeaked, but reached out and grabbed a hold of Dave's ankle when the Strider got to his feet.

"Let's not fight any more, please." He pleaded. Dave stared at him impassively, and Tavros was struck with the sudden fear that he wouldn't listen to him. He tightened his grip in response, though neither boy backed down until Sollux reappeared in his room. His lip was bloodied and one of his lenses was cracked, but the Captor looked no worse for wear.

"So maybe today wasn't the best day." He muttered, shaking his head. "Let's just get back to studying guys, ok?" Sollux sat by Karkat, picking up his book resolutely and burying his face in it. After a long moment, Eridan and Dave sat back down, Strider kicking Tavros's hand off of him. Tavros watched with slightly bated breath before sharing an uneasy smile with Gamzee, who had been looking out the window.

With a sigh, Tavros picked up his study guide again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which fillers happen and characters are explained.

Tavros sat in the computer chair, staring intently at the book in front of him. It was February, and after weeks of studying competition was only a few days away. Parcel Mistress pulled strings somehow, and managed to talk their teachers into allowing the members of the Academic Decathlon team to skip classes since it was the week before tests started. On Monday, Karkat passed around a sheet of paper with the team's name on it, the days of the week across the top in his messy scrawl. They could choose what classes they wanted to skip and Parcel Mistress was able to talk to the teachers so that whatever they missed, they could still make it up later.

So here Tavros was: his sixth attempt at reading The Grapes of Wrath while he was supposed to be in algebra with Kanaya. He didn't particularly miss algebra- - -Tavros wasn't the best at math, which is why he hadn't even attempted to look at the math packet associated with AcaDec- - -but he missed Maryam's comforting presence. Nobody outside of the team or yearbook was allowed in the AcaDec classroom any more, and they were spending all of brunch and lunch in the classroom cramming. Which meant the only time Tavros could see Nepeta and Kanaya, or even Rose and Feferi, was during a class which he no longer attended.

Right now, though, his best friends were the AcaDec team as a whole. They were the ones who had the answers in terms of studying and helping each other out, even if some of them had gone a little loose in the head. Stress had found a way to affect everyone with Regionals looming before them, and they had broken into groups to help each other study better. They'd finished all the starter quizzes the first two months, but those had been more to get a handle on the information as they started anyway. Instead of creating their own quizzes, they'd divided up the ten sections into parts and done PowerPoints, which they went over in the morning. After the PowerPoints, they would log onto the demidec website to study further, using the quizzes on there to further ingrain the knowledge.

At lunch, they either pulled individual study, or they worked on their essay-writing skills. Karkat refused to let them score as low on the essay as the team did the year before, but he wouldn't share the scores so that they had at least a general knowledge of what they were supposed to beat. He pulled prompts from previous years, came up with prompts that could potentially be used for this year's tests, and gave them all lunch to work on their essays; Vantas and Parcel Mistress would go over the works, and the rest of the team would get theirs back after school when they met up again.

After school was dedicated to interviews and speeches. Gamzee was banned from wearing anything around his wrists, like a long sleeved shirt or the friendship bracelet Tavros made for him for Christmas; because of his near-constant intake of pills or need to light up, he was twitchy and continually pulling on anything that happened to encircle his wrists. Tavros stuttered too much, especially during his impromptus, and had a bad habit of trailing off in the middle of his sentence. Dave's shades were also banned at competition, though since he refused to take them off, they were cleared for practice only. Equius was given advice to wear a particularly strong deodorant, seeing as the slightest amount of pressure made him turn into a walking epitome of sweat and body odor.

On Wednesday Eridan burst into tears because both of his speeches either fell under the minimum time limit, or went a full minute over. He couldn't figure out how to censor himself properly, and ended up leaving in a whirlwind of tears and curses, his jacket and scarf flapping around him dramatically as he stormed out. They had all stared in shock before Sollux sighed and stood up, swiftly following after the drama queen that was Eridan Ampora. They were gone for fifteen minutes, returning in the middle of Dave's speech about record mixing. They were both mussed up, lips bruised and awkwardly not meeting each other's gazes. The rest of the session had gone as smoothly as it could, and then they went home to repeat it again.

Tavros sighed and closed the book, casting his eyes around the room he was in. The yearbook students were on the computers that lined the side of the room, but even with them working he was able to easily spot his teammates.

John sat with Vriska, his eyes wide and slightly manic as he waved his hands around, explaining whatever Music thing Serket had asked him. Dave sat nearby, easily ducking his head to avoid Egbert's wandering appendages, focused intently on the packet- - -or maybe on John, there was no telling with his shades- - -and Vriska looked a cross between terrified and regretful.

Karkat was sitting by himself, tucked into his own corner with all his packets around him. He was continually running his hands through his hair, looking as if he could explode at any moment. A few feet away from him was Gamzee, laying on the floor by the door. He had headphones on, though he was sprawled on the floor with a lit paper in his hand. Every now and then, he would groggily lift his hand and take a hit, breathing out smoke in lazy circles above his head. Equius was beside him, looking uncertainly at the Honors student every few paragraphs.

Sollux and Eridan were huddled together, Sollux working on Math problems while Eridan worked on making his prepared speech end in the middle of the appropriate time limit. Tavros watched them interact for a few moments before returning his attention to his book, trying to read again from page one for the seventh time.

 _'To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth. The plows crossed and recrossed the rivulet marks. The last rains…'_ The Nitram practically felt his mind wander away from his book, and no amount of shifting or re-reading could bring it back to the book before him. As he read, Tavros debated the merits of joining his teammates for studying. He needed to read this book; after all, it was a major part of the Language and Literature test, but he couldn't bring himself to get past the first two chapters. Right now, he couldn't get past the first page with the way his mind was going off. Studying the sections was the whole point of individual study, especially at school when they could have someone else explain it to them. Besides, he could always read the book at home.

Mind made up on reading the book later, Tavros looked at his options.

John was the person to go to for Music studies, because he played piano and was better at explaining the difference between notes, tempo, and style better than Dave was. Melody and beats came a bit more easily to Egbert, especially because the piano was an instrument used in their Music soundtrack, and he understood the concept a lot better than Strider did. Dave, though still having some experience in the Music section, was only marginally better at explaining things quickly. John had a tendancy to ramble on and on without any discernable end in sight, while trying to get similar information from Dave was a bit like drawing water from a stone; not only were his answers short, they tended to have absolutely nothing to do with Music.

Social Science, however, was more Dave's forte anyway. He made up cool raps that were memorable and informative, and after every study session with Dave, Tavros found that they stuck to his mind a bit better than just reading the information. Karkat, ever the short fuse, gave Dave hell for rapping about the history notes for the Great Depression, but every once in a while Tavros could hear him muttering Strider's raps under his breath when he thought no one was listening. It made him flush whenever he was caught, especially because Strider couldn't pass up an opportunity to hassle their team leader whenever he could, which lead to fights that would momentarily take their attention off of studying.

Sollux gave help with Math to anyone who was interest, though Tavros made sure to give the Captor a wide berth during studies. He had nothing against Sollux, really, but he could barely understand algebra; how the hell was he supposed to wrap his brain around trigonometry? Captor seemed like a natural at it; since it was mathematics, and it related to coding in some obscure way that Tavros couldn't remember, Sollux worked through it with such ease it almost made Tavros jealous.

Then again, it happened to be the only thing Captor was good at remembering, so maybe Tavros wasn't _too_ jealous about that.

Karkat's specialty was Art, which seemed a bit odd given his personality. Even his loud voice quieted a bit as he talked about what Tavros figured was his favorite subject, as if the artists of the Great Depression could hear his awe right at that moment. He spoke passionately about Diego Rivera's _South Wall of A Mural Depicting Detroit Industry_ , pointing out things that Tavros would have never caught on his own. Vantas was almost sympathetic when the _Migrant Mother_ photograph came up, and was enthralled with the _Nighthawks_ painting and what it symbolised. He had enough facts about the architecture of the time to put even the packets to shame, and he could go on for hours about the artists or photographers or the architects that created their Art section.

Equius was the go-to guy for Economics, so long as there wasn't too much more pressure added onto him or that they could handle dealing with his excess of packet towels that he needed. If not him, then there was Eridan; Ampora, though, seemed on the verge of a breakdown. He swung from calm to crying frantically to insulting everyone and everything around him so quickly it made Tavros's head spin. Sollux was able to calm him down sometimes, but only barely, and lately Captor hadn't even attempted to try.

Vriska had Super Quiz down somehow, but she snapped irritably whenever anyone got too close to ask her something. She'd taken to bringing eight octodice, rolling them in her hands to give her something to focus any excess energy she had from sitting still. Occasionally, she'd use them to take a quiz online, but Tavros wasn't exactly sure how that worked, other times, she'd use them as weapons, throwing them as hard as she could at anyone who broke her concentration. Tavros had several bruises, though she half heartedly apologized for her actions later on while practicing speeches and interviews.

Both Vriska and Gamzee seemed to have thrown themselves into vying for Tavros's attention. Vriska would saunter up behind him when he was reading through the Language and Literature study material, scaring the wits out of him whenever she draped herself on his shoulders and whispered in his ear. Gamzee found more excuses to stick to his side, using studying Lang and Lit as an excuse to be by him. The Makara never took off the bracelet Tavros made, a simple string bracelet made up of brown and indigo and decorated with two similarly-colored beads. Vriska would toss her hair and bat her eyes at him, tossing a couple of dice in the air as they talked about the subjects from AcaDec.

They were acting oddly, but Tavros chalked it up to stress. Equius was sweating nearly non-stop, Karkat had a shorter fuse than usual, Eridan had hormonal mood swings almost as violent as a pregnant woman's, Sollux was prone to snapping, Dave hardly said more than he needed to and John wouldn't shut up. It even affected Tavros, the Varsity student burying himself under piles and piles of work in hopes of doing _something_ properly, even though he was ready to tear his hair out over _this goddamned book_ …

Tavros steadied himself with an impatient sigh, turning around on the computer chair so that he faced the desktop screen. Almost unwillingly, he flipped open the book again and started over.

_'To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma…'_


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is one last practice run before showtime.

Tavros tilted back in his chair, glancing around with furrowed brows. Their AcaDec classroom, on top of being an English classroom when not in use by either Yearbook or AcaDec, was connected to at least five other English classrooms. Connecting them all was a core of computers only, with chairs for the students to sit on while they worked on their assignments. The core was intimately familiar to Tavros, because during the past week while he skipped classes with the rest of the team, they hung out in here while they studied. The whole team was with him right now, even though it was about seven-forty-five at night, because they were doing one final run-through of their interviews and speeches before doing them for competition in the morning.

Tavros sat in one of the plastic chairs, his nose wrinkled a bit. The closer it got to competition, the less pills Gamzee took; instead, the Makara decided that lighting up was the best way to keep himself calm. It turned into a full time habit in no time at all, and Tavros almost longed for the days when all Gamzee did was take a bunch of pills. At least then his best bro didn't smell so weird all the time, and he wasn't a walking fire hazard waiting to happen.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Tavros asked Gamzee, trying to break the silence that was between them. Gamzee's eyes cracked open, taking a long moment before they focused completely on Tavros; the Makara smiled, slowly and lazily as he had for the past two weeks, and shook his head.

"Nah, bro, it's simple as pie." Gamzee chuckled, lolling his head back so that it hung off the back of the chair. He muttered something about pie for a moment, then sat up so abruptly he almost fell out of the chair. Right as Tavros reached out to steady him, Gamzee's hand shot out and gripped Tavros's. Their eyes met, and Gamzee drawled, "When this is all up and finished, motherfucker, wanna go to my house and have sloppy make-outs?"

Tavros squeaked in shock, turning crimson in a matter of seconds. His mouth flailed for a moment as he tried to think of what to say, half formed responses not even making it to his lips. Nobody was around to hear the half-muttered question, which made Tavros extremely grateful; Karkat was busy telling the onslaught of volunteers where to go, Equius had disappeared shortly after they began showing up, and Tavros didn't know or care where the others were. Right at this moment, he was focused on not turning into crimson pile of mush, something that Gamzee wasn't helping with by leaning forward until their foreheads touched.

"It won't be so bad, motherfucker." Gamzee said quietly. His gaze was more focused than Tavros had ever seen while high, and the Makara seemed sure of himself. One hand twined gently in his mowhawk, shifting through the soft brown strands gently, and the other reached up and placed itself on Tavros's cheek. "We can go as motherfucking slow as a bro's gotta motherfucking go." His thumb traced a small patter on his face that made Tavros's breath hitch in his throat, his own eyes wide and stunned to Gamzee's half-lidded and searching. "Could even partake, if a motherfucker feels up to it." His hand traced Tavros's cheek gently, barely touching and yet burning as it brushed past his neck, down his arm… "This motherfucker'll never say no to you, Tav."

Huh. Gamzee was trembling just the slightest bit.

The Honors student's words finally registered, and Tavros felt his flush climb both up his face and down his neck. He pushed himself away from Gamzee, though perhaps he pushed a bit too hard; the chair over balanced and he fell, sprawling out on the floor in a loud racket that had Karkat sticking his head into the core to glower at him. Not paying his teammate any mind, Tavros stared in unhidden horror at Gamzee above him, who looked slightly confused at the lack of Nitram in front of him.

"Gamzee!" Tavros finally squeaked out, not having anything more to say- - -or rather, not being able to say it due to shock. His voice caught the Makara's attention, though, and Gamzee looked down with a big goofy grin. His past words and actions were seemingly forgotten in the span of thirty seconds, but Tavros was unwilling to test the theory by bringing what just happened up again.

"Tavbro, what the motherfuck you doing down there, motherfucker?" Tavros gaped up at him, but Gamzee didn't hesitate to bend down to help him up. He pulled the Varsity to his feet.

As he did, Dave and John appeared in the room. John sat down beside Gamzee, collapsing with a good-natured smile at his teammates. Dve plopped down on the floor by Tavros, leaning over him and staring down from behind his shades.

"Sup, bro?" He asked monotonously, ignoring the deep growl that came from Gamzee. "Good to know that your knight training has taken off like a bat out of hell. Not that knights own bats. What the hell kinda knight has a bat instead of a horse, anyway? That would call for, like, immediate dismissal, right bro?" He turned around before Tavros could answer, turning to Gamzee and placing a mockingly soothing hand on the Honor's student's face. "You get the video link I sent you?"

"Fuck you." Dave seemed to brighten up at the two words, which prompted a nervous look from John as the other boy sat up straighter.

"You didn't like it?" He snickered quietly, unfazed by the annoyed sound coming from Makara. "But, dude, I hunted it down just for you."

"Dave…" John warned, placing a hand on Gamzee's shoulder. His blue eyes darted to the door where Karkat was, debating on whether or not he had time to get the Vantas before his boyfriend provoked Gamzee into a full on fist fight.

"Nah, John, let it go." Dave sprawled out on the floor, throwing a casual arm around Tavros and waggling his eyebrow up at Gamzee. "After all, let's see if the Bard can save his precious Page." Dave covered his mouth, but the taunt was still in his voice as he added, "Or will our Theif come to his rescue?"

"Dave, seriously?" John groaned, grabbing Gamzee's arms right as he lunged forward. Laughing Dave rolled back, coming to a smooth stand a few feet away. His hands were tucked casually in his pockets, though their mock fight was interrupted by Karkat appearing.

He was dragging Vriska and Eridan with him, Sollux and Equius following behind at a more casual pace. Vantas stopped short, releasing both of their arms.

"So here's how we're going to do this, asshats." He bit out. Pointing to each room, Karkat detailed the flow of what was going to happen. "We got eighteen fuckasses spread out through these rooms. Half of them are interview, the other speeches." He pointed out which room was which quickly, spinning in a circle as he did so. "Now we'll be getting this done as quickly as fucking possible. Nitram, you're in speech first. Egbert, interview over there." Vantas pointed to their assigned rooms at random. "Zahhak, you've got speech here. Serket, go over there for interview. Gamzee, speech. And Strider, interview."

Frowning, Karkat repeated everything to himself, counting out his teammates on his fingers.

"Yea, that's about right." He nodded to himself. "Then whoever comes out first, speech or interview, that's when either me, Ampora, or Sollux will go. And if you do a speech, wait for the next fucking interview room. Interviews, vice-fucking-versa." For a moment, they all stood around. Tavros frowned a bit, trying to work out what he was supposed to do. He was headed towards the first room for speech; where was he supposed to go for interview?

Just as he opened his mouth to ask, Karkat's thinly-spread patience snapped.

"The hell you all just standing around for?" He growled out, swing around. "It's eight-o-fucking-clock, morons. Get on it!" tavros jumped, scuttling over to his assigned room. Behind him, he dimly heard Karkat striking up a short conversation with the other two boys with him.

Tavros looked into the room to see who would be judging his speeches, smiling a bit at the two familiar faces. Kurloz Makara sat closest to the door, watching him walk over to the room with a raised eyebrow and a bored expression. Next to him sat a woman with long hair and at least four piercings: one over her left eye, two in her right eyebrow, and one right in the middle of her bottom lip. She had tattoos swirling up both of her arms, ending right at the top of her chest; it was visible due to her black spaghetti-strap shirt.

That must be Porrim; Karkat had mentioned she would be coming to help judge them, and he'd glowered at Vriska's protests until she'd stopped voicing them.

On her other side was Rufio's on-again, off-again boyfriend and apparently Equius's brother. Tavros hadn't seen Horuss in quite some time because they were currently broken up, for good this time his brother claimed. Rufio didn't want any ties other than familial when he took off to college, so he'd dumped the high school junior about a week and a half after New Year's. Horuss didn't look as bad as Tavros expected, which was good; the younger Nitram always suspected that the elder Zahhak was more invested in his relationship with Rufio than Rufio was himself, and to see him doing well was always good.

Without hesitating, Tavros entered the classroom and crossed the desks to stand in front of the 'judges'. He stood in front of Kurloz, Porrim, and Horuss, smiling meekly at the three semi-adults in front of him. Kurloz waved almost carelessly, his eyes searching the entry way behind Tavros for Gamzee. Porrim smiled gently at him, and Horuss tinkering with what looked like a mechanical- - -

Tavros's eyes widened and he nearly gave himself whiplash as he spun on his heel. What the hell was Horuss… Tavros took a deep breath and peeked over his shoulder, only to whip around again with a barely-contained squeak. He placed his hands over his cheeks, mortified beyond belief. Should Horuss really have such a thing here? Why would he even bring it if he knew he was going to a high school?

Then again, he probably brought it because it was a high school. Tavros wasn't sure which idea horrified him more.

"Is there a problem, hon?" A female voice- - -Porrim, Tavros thought faintly, she knows Karkat somehow- - -crooned from behind him. Tavros turned around slowly, keeping his eyes firmly on Porrim as he did so. He smiled weakly at her when she raised her double-pierced eyebrow, shaking his head reluctantly.

"N-No, I'm ok." Porrim didn't seem to buy it, as she leaned backward and crossed her arms. The action made her breasts bunch together, making them more visible above her spaghetti strap shirt. Tavros flushed a bit darker, resolutely looking at her piercings.

"Horuss Zahhak, put that damn thing away!" She snapped after a moment, making the elder Zahhak jump in shock. His goggles caught the light as he turned to face Porrim head on, holding up his toy innocently. She made a disgusted sound and firmly shoved the Zahhak's arm away, gesturing towards Tavros with her other hand. He glanced around for a moment before his eyes landed on Tavros; he smiled and waved at him, adjusting his goggles a bit.

"Oh, hey, Tavros, I didn't see you come in." His smile was warm but strained, and Tavros shifted a bit awkwardly. Everyone always commented on how similar he and Rufio looked, even if they knew they looked nothing like each other, and to have a reminder of a failed relationship was never easy.

"Uh, Hey. Horuss." Tavros shifted uncomfortably. "You, ah, you look well. How've you been?" The Zahhak looked a bit taken aback by the question; soon, a much warmer smile covered his face and he leant forward on his elbows, a sign that he was paying a little too close attention to what was being said to him.

"I'm quite well, thank you for asking." He said with a shrug. "Not quite as well as I would like of course, given to how suddenly R…" Horuss cleared his throat when it caught on Rufio's name, and he shook his head a bit. His ponytail swung out in a graceful arc, and Tavros distantly noticed that it had gotten longer. "Nevertheless, I've been fine. In fact, Meulin and I were planning on going somewhere for dinner after this, just the two of us." He sat up a bit, though he turned his head to give a weary glance at Kurloz momentarily; when the elder Makara continued ignoring them, he continued. "Meulin's in the other room with little Nepeta, helping with interviews. I've known- - -"

"Sweetheart, it's getting to be quite late and we still have at least three others after him." Porrim interrupted smoothly, placing a gentle hand on Horuss's shoulder. When he turned to look at her, she slid her hand across his back, bringing her much closer. Horuss flushed darkly, but Porrim didn't seem to notice. "Let's cut the chatter to a minimum and let the boy get his speeches over with, ok?"

She settled back in her own seat, tapping Kurloz's shoulder to get his attention. For the first time since he entered, Tavros noticed that Porrim had a stop watch around her neck. She picked it up with nimble fingers, inspecting it before settling as comfortably on her chair. The two men around her picked up their pens, though Porrim made no move to touch hers.

"You may begin, Tavros."

Tavros nodded and opened his mouth to begin.

"Uh, g-good evening." He winced inwardly, mentally slapping his face. He'd worked on that! Oh, god, Karkat was going to murder him tomorrow. Taking a steadying breath, he squared his shoulders and launched into his speech. Eyes focused solely on Porrim, who was a source of comfort much more than Kurloz's dead stare or Horuss's overly-attentive gaze, Tavros tried not to fidget as he spoke. Porrim managed a clever middle, looking completely fascinated by what Tavros was saying while at the same time keeping up the image of judging. Every stutter or unintended pause he made, Porrim would write down on the paper in front of her. After the 3:30 minimum, she made a 'C' with her right hand, letting him know he had thirty seconds to wrap it up.

When he finished, none of them said a word; Kurloz gestured to his right, where there was a table pressed against the wall. Legs shaking tremendously, Tavros approached the table quite the same way one would approach an executioning axe. He was so focused on breathing that he ended staring at the back of three pieces of paper without making a decision.

Something bounced off the back of his neck, none too gently, and Tavros jumped about five feet in the air. As he whirled around to face his three mock-judges, his hand knocked over a piece of paper. Kurloz shot it a pointed look, prompting Tavros to bend down and pick it up. From the floor, he read the forcefully chosen prompts.

'1. Discuss scarcity and choice as it relates to a personal experience you've had.  
2\. Is free trade beneficial to all parties involved?  
3\. What role did the theatre play in ancient Greek society?'

Tavros stared in faint shock about the three sentences staring up at him for a brief moment before standing; he turned his back on the judges again and grabbed a blank piece of paper from the corner of the table. Pulling the pen towards him as well, he re-read the prompts, deciding which between the three would be easier.

Prompt three. Tavros scribbled ideas down as quickly as he could, listing three things off of the top of his head and hoping to make a decent speech out of it. He counted down the seconds in his mind, trying not to go over his minute of prep time. Just before Horuss opened his mouth to call Tavros back, the Varsity turned on his heel and strode to his previous spot once agsin.

"Theater was a great importance to the ancient Greek society in many ways that it no longer is today." He blurted out. Wincing at Porrim's raised eyebrow and recognizing it as a sign that the older woman had something she'd wanted to say, Tavros plowed on. "It brought people to one place to pass on stories for entertainment and facts about history. Theater was much more personal and, uh," Tavros faltered slightly, looking down at the paper he held with blank eyes.

He lost track of what he was trying to say.

His mind scrambled frantically as he tried to find a way to salvage what he'd done. Silence thundered in the classroom around them, and Tavros was painfully aware as the seconds ticked by with no sound. He stared at his paper as if words would magically appear and help him, or at least something he had written down would trigger an idea in his mind- - -

"It required skills that have been pushed to the wayside in today's society!" he blurted out, far louder than he'd intended. As he spoke, his mouth raced ahead of his mind, trying frantically to make up for the twelve seconds of utter silence. "Public speaking, long term memorization, imagination- - -all things that are pretty much ignored in today's society. The Ancient Greeks put all these skills to use…" Tavros rambled until Porrim put up the thirty seconds left signal, then added an abrupt two sentences to end his impromptu.

Kurloz waved his hand first, capturing Tavros's attention first. He held up a sign written in purple ink, written out in a careful hand.

'YOU NEED TO STOP SHIFTING YOUR MOTHERFUCKING WEIGHT AROUND.'

"And maybe, perhaps," Horuss chanced a glance at Porrim, but when she made no move to interrupt him he continued; as he spoke, he waved his arms around, very nearly hitting the woman next to him and waving around the mechanical object in his hand. "You use the words 'uh' and 'um' a lot. You probably shouldn't during the actual competition right? And- - -"

"Good points, both of you." Porrim interrupted as she leaned forward and steepled her hands in front of her face; narrowed jade eyes focused on Tavros as she added, "And even if you forget what you were about to say, do not ever let your speech stop for twelve seconds. Your 'uh's and 'um's will not mark you down as much as a twelve second silence. On that point, don't just stand there stuttering nonsense. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Tavros squeaked. Her eyes softened a bit, and she smiled warmly at him in attempt to calm him down again.

"I understand the difficulty, Tavros." Porrim said gently. "Especially for new decathletes, and timid ones at that. You seem like you're both. It's very courageous of you to be a part of this." He smiled shkily. "Be sure to stay calm ok?"

"Thank you, Miss Porrim." Her eyebrows shot up and Porrim laughed, looking extremely pleased.

"You are far too precious." She cooed. "You should be fine, honey." Waving a hand in front of Horuss, Porrim leaned back again and sighed. "Send in the next victim, please." Uncertainly, Tavros took shaky steps towards the door, his eyes locked on the judges for a moment longer.

He walked out of the room just as Vriska stepped daintily out of her own interview room. Without hesitating, she stepped past him and into his room, shoving him out of the way to slam the door.

Gamzee was entering the core as well, loping calmly out of his own speech classroom and waving at Sollux as Captor edged around him.

"How's it going, motherfucker?" Makara asked, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning on the computer in the middle of the room. It creaked ominously, making Gamzee jump and stare down at in in awe. Hiding his snickers, Tavros joined him and sat in the chair in front of the computer.

"I'm still having the same issues as always." Tavros responded with an embarrassed shrug. "With my, um, stuttering, I mean. And I lost track of what I was talking about, and there was this, uh, really awkward silence." Gamzee honked, but his amusement was drowned out by the appearance of their team leader.

"And that's something you need to fucking work on, asshole." He snapped, appearing quite suddenly out of thin air with a fierce scowl. Ignoring Tavros's yelp of shock, Vantas pointed to the open door of the room he must have just come out of. "Interview. Now."

His tone allowed for no argument, and neither did the glare on his face. Tavros pushed himself out of the chair, but he was stopped by a rather large hand on his arm.

"Never answered a motherfucker, motherfucker." Gamzee said with importance, staring at him with wide eyes. Tavros hesitated, unsure; he didn't realize that Makara would remember asking him anything, let alone be sober enough to demand an answer. Glancing briefly into the interview room as if that would save him, Tavros wondered what he could say to his Honors teammate that would pacify him for the moment.

"I'll ask my dad about coming over," He said finally, "but, uh, maybe not tonight?" he winced as Gamzee studied him momentarily before breaking out in a wide grin.

"Motherfucking miracles." He breathed.

"INTERVIEW, GODDAMMIT!" Karkat roared.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the actual competition begins.

The morning of February 26th was colder than Tavros anticipated. He had woken up at 6:30 and made it to the school he was competing at by 7:45 am. Rufio took him to the school because their dad had a late shift that had him getting home just as they were leaving. He'd wished both of his sons luck- - -Tavros for Academic Decathlon and Rufio because he was going to a nearby college for an interview- - -right before disappearing into his room for some much-needed sleep. Rufio had been sure to drop him off a little bit earlier than he was supposed to, which made Tavros worry because it was an unfamiliar school and he had no idea where he was. The younger Nitram was going to ask his brother to stick around, but then Tavros had found Sollux and Eridan; he waved goodbye to his brother and joined the only two familiar people there.

Sollux and Eridan were sitting together quietly, Sollux pressed against Eridan's side. The wind was rare but particularly biting, though Eridan seemed to feel it more than Sollux. He was shivering, tucking his nose into his scarf and occasionally taking a sip from the mug he held. They were huddled together for warmth, Ampora clutching at a travel mug of coffee. Neither looked up at Tavros's approach, but Eridan switched the hand that held the coffee and gestured for Tavros to sit on his other side.

"Where's Feferi?" Tavros asked as he sat down. It was rare to actually see Feferi recently, but Tavros had figured that the Peixes would be there in support of her stepbrother and her best friend. Eridan's arm immediately went around his waist, pulling him as close as possible without answering. His jacket was thick against Tavros's own sweatshirt, but so freezing cold that the Varsity could feel it through the material. Without hesitation, Tavros wrapped an arm around Eridan's neck, mindful of the Captor's hand around Ampora's waist. They huddled together, peeking out curiously whenever they heard the approach of a car.

"Oh, mother of cod, you're w-warm." Eridan breathed in awe, cuddling closer to the both of them as the third car drove off with no signs of their teammates. Sollux snorted, but nestled further against Ampora. Eridan sighed in happiness before tilting his head to glance at Tavros. His face shifted into a frown, disapprovement coloring his features. "Dammit, you're jus like Sol. Don't tell me that that's yer idea of fuckin 'formal wear'!" Eridan turned up his nose in disdain, making Tavros flush defensively and pull his arm back. Before he could come up with a decent comeback, Eridan answered his other question with his haughtiness still coloring his voice. "Fef ain't allow-wed in."

"Apparently," Sollux drawled with a snicker at the look on Tavros's face, "only the actual team is allowed on campus. Family members and any other supporters aren't supposed to be here."

"Oh, finally, look, here comes Kar and Gam." Eridan raised his voice rather than dislodge his two personal heaters, making both boys wince and draw back; he whined and pulled them back so quickly their heads knocked together. Tavros, cringing in pain, followed his gaze and caught sight of Kurloz's car, Nepeta leaning out of the back window and waving wildly after her uncle and his best friend. "Oi! Ov-ver here!"

"I wonder who the fuck that could be!" Karkat's sarcastic voice reached them first, though its owner and Gamzee followed shortly after. Karkat crossed his arms and glared at them, his fingers tapping out a rhythm against his arm; Gamzee waved cheerfully, though his eyes never left Tavros. He seemed confused, as if he wasn't sure why his best bro was pressed so close against Eridan.

"No need ta be so loud so early in the mornin." Eridan grumbled, chagrined enough to slouch down. He let out a pained grunt of disdain at Vantas's jeans and frayed jacket. "Does no one understand the meanin of formal fuckin wear?" Karkat scowled darkly, opening his mouth to begin his anger-filled rant; Gamzee plopped down on the other side of Tavros, leaning against him and smearing white paint on his sweatshirt. Tavros allowed himself to indulge in Gamzee's closeness; it was really cold at the moment and he would take all the heat he could get. Gamzee had this weird noise he made when Tavros wrapped his arm around his neck and rubbed his shoulder, almost as if he was purring, and it was relaxing. He listened to Eridan and Karkat bicker, and halfway to dozing off, Vriska and Dave's voices joined the fold.

Before long, John and Equius showed up as well. It was around 7:55, so Tavros sat himself up a bit more, still rubbing Makara's shoulder. Blinking a bit sleepily, the Varsity student rubbed his face with his other hand and tuned into the conversation around him.

"So what do we do first?" John was asking excitedly, bouncing a bit in place. He looked a bit out of sorts due to his energy; out of the nine, John Egbert was by far the most excitable. Even Vriska was watching him with a weird look on her face from a spot between Eridan's feet, her back against the wall four of her teammates were seated upon.

"We're all going to gather for the essay." Vriska answered. She sounded a bit tired, leaning her head against Eridan's knee while she spoke. "We all have to do that at the same time, in the auditorium. Then everything else is varied, depending on the time you get." Her voice was smug and a bit more alert as she said, "Last year, we all finished before four-thirty, and we all got a medal for something."

"Different team, Serket." Karkat snapped distractedly. He was focused on papers from the Science packet, reading from them almost obsessively. "Those guys were a buncha assholes anyway, we got a better team this year." All the conversation stopped, and they all turned to face the flushing team leader in shock. He resolutely ignored the rest of them for five minutes before snapping his teeth at them.

"Oh, Karkat!" Parcel Mistress jumped in shock from behind them, her hand pressed against her heart. Smiling at them all, their coach quickly counted them all to ensure that all were present. Gathering them quickly, Parcel Mistress corralled them towards the lunch tables by the auditorium. As Tavros followed the rest of his team, he felt the sun begin to warm them. It was barely eight o clock now; the Varsity wondered how much warmer it would get by the day's end.

They signed up surprisingly quickly, showing their school IDs and gaining a simple notecard. It had their name on it, as well as two separate times listed: one for an interview, and one for speeches. Karkat instructed them all in a gruff voice to be sure not to lose them; there was a string tied around it, one that passed easily over Tavros's head when he put it on. Once he had it securely around his neck, the Varsity read it over.

Tavros Nitram

Speech - - Interview

M-2 - - P-2

2:00PM - 6208 - 2:24PM

As he read, Tavros walked with his teammates, keeping an eye out for the Prospit team. He hadn't seen them yet, but there were so many other teams that he could barely keep track of where his own teammates were until they reached an empty table. Without any prompting they all sat down; Tavros sat by Vriska, hiding a yawn behind his hand. Without preamble, Serket handed him a portion of her Super Quiz study guide. Groaning a bit, Tavros scrunched up his nose and scowled down at the packet.

"Stop acting like a baby." She snapped irritably, already reading over her own papers and copying down certain information. Parcel Mistress hovered over her for a moment, but Vriska waved her away irritably and she turned her attention to Equius instead. "This was the topic we decided to do the essay on. You can't just break off cause you don't like it."

"But it's so boring!" Tavros slouched down. His teammates seemed to have had the same idea as Vriska; the table was already covered in papers with information pertaining to the Super Quiz section, the same information written in ten different ways in hopes of getting something to stick long enough to write an essay without completely bullshitting it. Karkat was speaking in a rushed voice, brows furrowed as he tried to ingrain the geology terms into his mind. The rest of them were various followings of his example, save for Tavros slouching on the table and staring listlessly at the information.

"Them's the breaks, Tavvie." Vriska muttered distractedly, slapping his back. There was a lot more force behind the motion than she probably intended, but Tavros's look of pain went unnoticed because her eyes were glued firmly to her packet. "Now shut up, and focus. We absolutely have to make it to State this year, and this is a portion of our ability to go."

"Why do we have to go to State?" Tavros asked, curiosity peaked in lieu of having to study. Vriska finally gave her Varsity teammate her full attention, her eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'why'?" She shot back. "I told you that was the whole point of recruiting you to the team. So that we could crush our enemies and rub their faces in the dirt with the force of our superiority!" Vriska grabbed the papers she'd abandoned and held them in her hand triumphantly. Her voice was rising dramatically, catching the attention of the team next to her. "You can't tell me that you don't want to show Harley, at least, who's fucking boss!"

"Not really." Tavros muttered irritably, wincing a bit at the unintended dig. Automatically his eyes shot around to the few teams around them in hopes of seeing the Prospit team and, by default, Jade. He'd never apologized, though it had been high on his list of things to do. By the time they had finished studying at Sollux's house the day Serket had insulted Harley, Tavros had completely forgotten about Vriska's message to Jade. And in the weeks following, Karkat had pushed such a brutal schedule on them all, Varsity in particular due to the sheer amount of pressure on them, that Tavros barely had the time to remember the coursework for his regular classes, let alone something as simple as an unexplained message.

Time had flown by in a whirlwind of shifting moments and blurred sentences that nearly drowned them all, and Tavros hadn't ever managed to get back to Jade. It added to the frustration he was feeling, and he sank down a bit more in his seat while Vriska returned to her packet. In retaliation, he glowered at the nearby team staring oddly at them; they wore what looked like matching dress shirts, all of which read 'ROBOT BUNNY' on the back. Tavros watched that team joke around, several of the boys rough housing and the girls all ignoring them by studying.

"Why do you want to go to State so badly?" He asked. Vriska turned to him, seemingly caught off-guard by the question; her mouth was parted in shock, but she didn't say a word. Abruptly, she closed her mouth and drew back a bit. Encouraged by her lack of response, Tavros felt himself stutter through his next question. "Sometimes, uh, it seems that you're, um, more invested in this than, uh, Karkat. And I- - -"

"Shut up!" Vriska hissed, her eyes glancing briefly to John. It was a mere flicker, something that Tavros wouldn't have caught if he hadn't have been so close to his lone female teammate and watching every expression that crossed her face. Curious, he chanced a glance at John as well; Egbert was smiling to himself, leaning against Dave's shoulder as his blue eyes flew over the resource material.

Without warning, Serket grabbed a hold of his sweatshirt and dragged him away; no one on the team seemed to notice, as they were all invested in their resource guides. Aside from the few students around them, watching curiously and shouting encouragements as she lead him off, nobody said anything to them. Tavros debated on pulling away from her, but she'd found a secluded area and threw him against the wall before he could decide anything.

"What- - -"

"The whole point of this damn competition." Vriska said with a forced patience Tavros knew was non-existent at this point, "Is to prove how smart you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I get that, but- - -"

"I'm just sick of Meenah's attitude!" Vriska snapped, pacing back and forth; she ran her hands through her hair irritably, though it instantly fell back in place without messing it up at all. "She had the exact same attitude as last year. And I've heard of Prospit long before I joined, you know. Karkat had, too, even Gamzee, but those two idiots forget shit almost as quickly as they learn it."

"What- - -"

"I remembered going against them last year!" Vriska turned on Tavros so quickly he took a step back out of fear; she followed, pinning him to the wall with her hands. Her face was set in a fierce scowl, which grew as she continued talking. "I remember them, even though Vantas was so busy focusing on this year he pushed all of last year out of his mind, and fucking Makara is too fucking high to remember shit. With the exception of fucking Megido and Harley, I met them all as competition. They were pompous and arrogant and assholes, and Meenah Peixes is the worst of them all. She started talking to me, just Peixes. We became real good friends real fast; she shared studying tips and braided my hair, and I sought advice from her for my speech and painted her nails. We were like best fucking friends."

For the first time since Tavros had known her, Vriska faltered. Her body language changed subtly; instead of pinning him to the wall, her shoulders and head sagged until it looked like the wall was holding her up instead. She took a shaky breath, steeling herself to admit the next thing she wanted to say.

"She just wanted to be sure we wouldn't pose a threat to them when it came time to head to State." Vriska admitted after a really long silence. "As a team, they decided to focus on one person in the team, and use them as a way to distract the rest of us. And they chose me as the weakest link."

"Vriska- - -"

"And stupid, naive, moronic little freshman me took the bait." Vriska punched the wall by Tavros's head, raising her own. The vulnerable glint in her eyes had faded away to pure determination. "Last year, they took us down a peg by infiltration, but they didn't really break any rules and so the only thing that happened was that we missed State by about a hundred points." She straightened up, dusting off her hands and elbows. As she did so, she was shaking her head. "Not this year."

"So you just want to redeem yourself?" Tavros asked quietly.

"Pay attention!" She snapped, glowering. "This is more than just fucking redemption. It's bigger- - -much, much, much, much, much, much, much, muuuuuuuuch bigger than that." Vriska gestured to place where everyone was sitting, using her arm to encompass not only the Alternia team but every team sitting out there. "They think our luck's run out. First year, we shot to the top of Third Division without breaking a sweat. Last year, we jumped up to First Division without even blinking, and just barely missed going to State." Determination had taken over Vriska again, completely erasing the insecurity that Tavros found so startling. "And this year, we'll take them by surprise and head to State for the first time. We'll be the newest AcaDec team to do so since the beginning of fucking competition!"

"Y-Yeah, but Vris- - -"

"And you," She shoved her finger in his face, "are not going to mess this up for me, Tav. We will make it to State, or so help me god- - -"

"G-Got it!" Tavros squeaked. Serket nodded decisively and straightened her button up shirt.

"Let's go then." She said. "And make them regret doubting the Alternian team." They walked back to their table, sitting down just as Karkat checked the time.

"Ten minutes, guys." He said, glowering fiercely at his paper. "Then we gotta be ready for the essay."

Tavros reluctantly accepted the papers for geology, staring down at the words and trying vainly to imprint them in his head. He wasn't sure what type of prompt they were going to get for science, so he read quickly, flipping through the sections about the types of rocks and the banks of rivers, skimmed over the few paragraphs they had on the Dust Bowl, and speed reading the science terms they had until Parcel Mistress appeared with a too-wide smile.

Handing Vriska back her papers, Tavros glanced down at the tag around his neck; with a hopeful sigh, he stood and waitied for his teammates to be ready so that they could get the essay done with. Everyone packed their bags, but Parcel Mistress made them leave all their stuff at the table; they weren't allowed anything other than a pencil or pen and an eraser, so she was going to be watching their stuff for them while they wrote the essay. Grumbling, everyone dropped their stuff, making their coach smile again and motion for them to follow her.

They followed Parcel Mistress to the gymnasium, where she stopped just before entering the double doors.

"Good luck, you guys!" She beamed at them. "I'll meet you at the table when you're finished, all right? Do your best!"

They walked into the gym, but Tavros stopped short; it was enormous, much bigger than the one they had at Alternia, and filled from end to end with tables. Several students were already spread out among the seats, and there were three people sitting at a table in front of the room, but it was otherwise empty. Light streamed in from the windows across the top of the room, and from the open doors at either end. A couple of kids were coming in from the opposite door, and it reminded Tavros of the reason he was there.

Looking around, he was surprised by the absence of his teammates. Vriska was closest, glaring at him and motioning for him to sit down. He took a step towards her, but she shook her head and held up her card. Looking down at his card again, Tavros stared at it uncomprehendingly until it hit him.

The 6208 was where he was supposed to be sitting. Flushing darkly at his ignorance, Tavros began searching the tables for his number; passing by Vriska, Nitram kept his eyes glued to the passing numbers. When he got to the end of the table, passing by Dave in the process, he turned and looked down the next table as well. When he found his seat, he's already passed by Karkat and Gamzee as well, seated at the front of the room right im front of the judge's table.

Tavros was also alone; there was someome sitting across from him, but the Alternian Varsity didn't know who it was or even what team the other person was on. Awkwardly, he began looking around the room to find his team.

Vriska was seated by the door, leaning on her hand and twirling her pencil in her hand. Her back was to Tavros, so he couldn't see her face; Dave was on the other end of the table, across from Vriska but all the way in the back of the room. Tavros could barely see his teammate's blonde hair, but he could see the bright green Felt suit clearly.

Sollux was in the middle of the table behind Tavros, almost four tables over. Equius was the closest to him, making the two of them as close as the rest of them were going to get. John was between Dave and Vriska, his head on the table. Karkat and Gamzee were further up Tavros's own table, but they were far away from each other that they could barely see each other, let alone talk.

"Hello, Tavros." The addressed boy looked up, startled, to see Jade gingerly sitting next to him. Heart in his throat, he watched as the other Varsity made herself comfortable on the hard bench.

"Jade!" She sent him a strained smile, and Tavros felt words pouring out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I'm so sorry about that message! I didn't send it, honest! And that I haven't gotten back to you either! Karkat- - -"

"You got caught up in studying?" She guessed, cutting across him with a more naturalsmile. When Tavros nodded eagerly, she laughed. "Me, too. Meenah insists that my scores matter, though I don't see how." Her nose wrinkled. "I'm just a Varsity, after all."

"Vriska says that Varsity matters the most." Tavros said. "Apparently, uh, our scores make or break the team's chances to go to State."

"I wonder why." Jade mused.

"I don't know." Tavros admitted. "No one's explained the logic of that one quite yet." He bit his lip, then smiled shyly at Jade. "Do you forgive me?"

"Tell me who really sent the message and I might." Jade elbowed Tavros gently with a wink, grinning playfully at him. Tavros opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by the sound of the microphone being turned on. Helplessly, he shrugged at Jade before twisting to look up at the speaker as she announced the beginning of the essay portion of the competition. Following the instructions she was giving, Tavros filled out the front page of the booklet with his name and the date, as well as his school name.

And then the timer was set and he opened the booklet; finding the science prompt quickly, Tavros put his penil to the paper and began writing.

'The geological proof we have of the Dust Bowl…'


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Competition begins.

By the time they got out of the essay room, it was eleven in the morning. Tavros had never been more relieved to be out of a room. Karkat's essay practice had not been nearly as hard as the essay prompt they had just finished writing on. He felt a bit sick as he thought about how poor his essay was; hopefully Vriska wouldn't kill him for potentially ruining their chances to go to State.

"One down, nine to go!" Vriska cheered, skipping to the table where they had their things set up and Parcel Mistress was waiting for them.

"Lunch first." Karkat grumbled, following after her with Gamzee hanging onto him. Tavros slowed down to walk on the other side of Gamzee, and made a face; the other boy smelled high, and the dopey grin Nitram got from the Makara only proved him right. The Honors student leaned down a bit and nuzzled his face on Tavros's sweatshirt again, smearing his face paint more.

"Goddamn it, Gamzee!" Karkat screeched, irritated. The Makara jumped, wide eyed, as his smaller friend grabbed him by the neck of his own sweatshirt and dragged him to a nearby In-n-Out truck, yelling loudly about having to fix his face all over again. Tavros watched them go, frowning a bit until his stomach grumbled loudly.

Flushing, he immediately clamped his hand over his stomach; he'd been a nervous wreck when he woke up that morning, knowing exactly what lay ahead of him during the day, and had been unable to stomach anything. It had taken him twenty minutes to get ready, and then Tavros had sat at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the wood as Rufio bustled as quietly as he could in the kitchen around him.

He was regretting it now, completely. His stomach was twisting up in knots, demanding food. For a moment, Tavros debated: he still had a speech and an interview to get through, but neither were until 2 in the afternoon and he was really hungry.

"Hey, Tavros!" Jade's voice rang out, and the Alternian Varsity turned to see his Prospitian counterpart headed towards him. She skid to a stop in front of him and smiled breathlessly. With a nod to the In-n-Out truck and the line that had already formed in front of it, she asked, "Wanna get some food?"

"Uh, sure!" Tavros beamed widely back. Waving off to someone behind her- - -probably Jake, or Meenah- - -Jade looped her arm through Tavros's as they headed to the truck.

"What'd you think of the essay?" Jade asked as they waited in line. She made a face to answer Tavros's responding groan, giggling a little at his response.

"It wasn't my, uh, best work, I think." Tavros replied a bit reluctantly. "I, uh, probably would have done better if, um, geology wasn't so…uh…"

"Dull?" She offered with a giggle. Tavros rolled his eyes.

"That's, uh, one way to put it."

"Well, geology really isn't so bad." Jade said thoughtfully. "I mean, it's difficult to remember all the terms, but since Jake and I practically grew up on an island, it's an interesting subject." She giggled at Tavros's aghast look. "It's our best subject, but I can't seem to wrap my head around the math."

"Oh, god, the math!" Tavros exclaimed dramatically. He completed the action by throwing his hand to his forehead, striking a pose while moving up in line. Jade exploded in another bout of giggles, which made Nitram smile shyly at her. Encouraged, he tossed his head back again. "With the, uh, numbers, and the symbols, and the, always asking for their ex back, and uh, why!"

"Wait, wait- - -!" Jade gasped, waving her hand as she tried to get her giggles under control. Tavro momentarily considered cracking another joke, but decided instead to let Harley catch her breath. Instead, he pulled a couple of wrinkled dollar bills out of his pocket, seeing as they were next in line, and waited patiently for his Prospitian counterpart to do the same.

"So, uh, what essay topic did your team decide on?" Tavros asked once they'd gathered their food.

"Oh, Meenah told us to just pick whichever topic we thought we'd do best on and go from there." Jade answered flippantly as they headed to a table, food in hand. Tavros gaped at her, and she shot him a curious look. "Didn't Karkat?"

"Nah, we all had to do the Super Quiz prompt." Tavros muttered miserably. "It was supposed to, uh, make our team stand out. Since, you know…" He shrugged. "Not a lot of people are going to choose, um, geology." Jade cocked an eyebrow, but before she could say anything they were interrupted; Tavros had been walking unconsciously towards the table that housed his team, and Jade had been following along without realizing the direction they were headed in.

"The fuck is she doing here?" Karkat snarled, slamming his hands down. Both of them stopped short at the cold glares they received, Tavros stunned into shock; he knew Vriska hated the Prospit team, but he hadn't realized her over competitiveness would leak into the others on his team.

"I'm talking to a friend." Jade shot back, recovering much quicker than Tavros. She leveled a cold stare of her own, locking eyes with Karkat as if she was challenging his authority. Karkat snarled wordlessly, his hands tightening into fists on the table. "Got a problem with it?"

"I do." Vriska smirked cruelly, drawing Jade's attention for only a moment before her forest green eyes remet Karkat's. "You're our enemy, after all. We're competing to be the best of the best, and you're getting in the way of that. Nobody ever invited you over here, Harley."

"Tavros did." The Prospitian girl hissed through clenched teeth. "You're just jealous that he would prefer hanging out with me rather than his own teammates!"

"Nah, sis, it ain't like that." Gamzee interrupted, struggling a bit to sit up straight. His eyes were unfocused, and he couldn't seem to see them properly; they slid slowly around, trying to pin either Jade or Tavros in his gaze. Several boxes of eaten food lay by his elbow, and Tavros took a brief moment to wonder how much Makara had managed to smoke in between leaving the essay room and this moment now. "Our Tavbro wouldn't motherfucking go round consorting with our fucking rivals, right? Means that the little Varsity bitch has her motherfucking claws in our motherfucking bro, right?"

"Gamzee." Tavros groaned, burying his face in one hand as his face turned bright crimson. Jade spluttered in shock, not ever having been referred to in such degrading terms. Tavros wanted to reach out and say something, tell her about Gamzee and his inability to speak to other people without adding his normal slew of curse words, but he was mortified into staying still. He could only watch helplessly as his teammates attacked Jade, wondering just what the hell their problem was, exactly.

"Sides, who the hell wouldn't wanna hang out with us?" Dave questioned solemnly without turning around. His mouth was working a straw that connected to a box of apple juice, which Tavros assumed he pulled from his bag; the Varsity hadn't seen apple juice being sold anywhere. "We're, like, totally the coolest kids on the block. Everybody's lining up to get just a tiny fucking glimpse of us; we got all the bitches grappling for our attention. They be like 'Oh, fucking hell, Alternia's the best high school!' and we sit here- - -"

"Our point," Vriska cut him off by slapping her hand over his mouth; the sound echoed a bit, and Dave's uncharacteristic wince proved that she'd done such action a little too hard. As she continued, her hand gripped Strider's face so hard that both her fingers and the parts of his cheek they could see began turning white. "Is that our little Tavvie's so sensitive, it's almost far too easy for you to manipulate him the way you would want to. Which means that you most certainly are. That's not something we abide by here at Alternia." Her eyes narrowed and her grip tightened, drawing John to grab her wrist in an attempt to release his boyfriend. "I know Prospit's a bit different, but outside of that school, you need to follow society's rules, sweetheart."

"And you would know that Tavros is that easy to manipulate how?" Jade spat, "from experience?" Surprise flashed over Serket's face, as no one had ever called her out on her bullying so quickly, and Jade's hands tightened on the cardboard box that held her lunch. She looked very close to reaching her breaking point, and the only Alternia Varsity on her side worried about Jade's food.

"Jade." Tavros warned quietly, reaching out and touching her arm. In a flash, she whirled around and pinned him with a soft glare.

"Come on, Tavros." She growled. Tavros grimaced a bit, but shook his head slightly. Jade's anger faded to shock and surprise, so quickly that he barely had time to register the change in emotions properly.

"I, uh, think it might be best, if…" Tavros trailed off briefly before spitting out what he wanted to say so quickly it was barely audible. "If-I-stayed-here-with-my-team-and-you-went-back-to-yours."

Everyone stared at him, making the Nitram turn a darker crimson than he already was. Even Dave had turned around in his seat, one hand on his apple juice and the other on his glasses, as if he was going to raise them to better watch the events around him unfold. It didn't seem as though anyone had understood him and, still horrendously red and mortified, Tavros opened his mouth to repeat himself.

"Never mind, Tavros." Jade cut him off, stepping around him to go past him. She didn't sound as mad as she had when fighting with Karkat; instead, the Prospitian Varsity sounded a bit sad.

"Jade…" He whispered, and she tilted her head enough to look at him, a small smile gracing her face.

"Loyalty to your team first." She said quietly. "A trait Meenah and Vriska seem to share." Her connection stung Tavros for some reason, and he found himself glancing wearily at Serket; she was staring back with her teeth bared, as if she wanted nothing more than to launch herself over the table and at Jade. "I'll see you later, Tavros." With a small, hopeless smile and a shrug, Jade left Tavros standing by the table with his food, presumably headed back to her own team like he'd suggested. Her actions left a pool of guilt building in his stomach, and suddenly he was furious at his teammates.

"Why did you guys do that?" Tavros sat down on the other side of Gamzee, trying to ignore the Honors student's hand in his hair. Gamzee had been just as helpful in driving Jade away as Karkat and Vriska, even if he probably wasn't as fully aware of his actions as the other two, and Tavros had to keep reminding himself that he was mad at Gamzee too.

"Well, you brought her over here." Vriska muttered sourly. She sat back down, having stood during her confrontation with Jade, and glowered at her half eaten fries.

"I didn't think, um, you'd all jump on her!" Tavros snapped at her.

"What the fuck were you even thinking, shit-for-brains?" Karkat fumed, interrupting their bickering. Tavros, not wanting to go into anything with Karkat, hunched down and began picking at his burger. Karkat didn't seem to take too kindly to being ignored; he leaned closer and yelled louder, repeating his frustrated question.

"Fuck off." Gamzee finally answered for him, enveloping Tavros into his arms while the Varsity ate. He felt some of his anger at his taller friend subsiding a bit as he did so; it was virtually impossible for Tavros to stay mad at anyone fot very long, and Gamzee was someone he couldn't stay annoyed at for more than five minutes. "All you motherfuckers picked on my main motherfucker enough."

Tavros ate in relative peace after that, noting the absence of both Eridan and Sollux and wondering where the two boys were. John kept glancing furtively after Jade, but he didn't say anything lest he risk the combined wrath of Karkat and Vriska. After a moment he pulled out his phone and fired off a quick message, pretending to be interested in what Equius was trying to tell him about horses.

"Ok, guys!" Parcel Mistress clapped her hands excitedly, returning to the table and sitting between Karkat and Vriska. Her eyes were alight with excitement, and her exhuberance was infective; she seemed to push all the positiveness back into the table, the negativity evaporating almost instantly with a small smile from their coach. "Are you all ready to do your interviews and speeches?" She stopped a moment and frowned a bit, recounting her students. "Wait, we're missing two- - -who's not here?"

"Eridan and Sollux." John answered for the team. "They've both been missing since the- - -oh, no, wait, there they are!"

"Oh, good!" Parcel Mistress smiled warmly at her two returning boys as they sat down at the table. "So, kids, this is how things are going to be working."

"Hey, Sollux." Tavros whispered when the missing Varsity sat down beside him, Parcel Mistress's voiace fading away, "You ok?"

"Fine." Sollux answered tightly. He didn't look fine, Tavros noted to himself. Captor was pale, looking thoroughly shaken up. His hands proved his nerves, shaking as they patted down the pockets on his sweatshirt and pockets. He couldn't seem to find what he was looking for, but it seemed to calm him down just a little bit; Eridan, sitting on Sollux's other side, pure a hand on his arm to make him stop fidgeting.

"All right guys?" Parcel Mistress beamed, and Tavros realized that he'd missed the whole pep talk his coach had just given them. He stood with the rest of his team, sparing a quick moment to glance at his phone. It was 1:30, which meant he had plenty of time before his own speech. Still, he headed to the general area of his room, reading the numbers at the top of the door until his came into view.

"Whatcha getting done first, brother?"

"Gah!" Tavros jumped and whirled around, staring at Gamzee with wide eyes. Makara stared at him evenly, a lit joint in his hand. His nametag was flapping haphazardly in the slight breeze, and the Varsity absentmindedly reach out and fixed it, holding it in place. Gamzee sent him a loopy smile in response, and Tavros felt his heart flutter in response. Clearing his throat, he gestured to room M-2. "My, uh, my speech."

"Interview for me." Gamzee held out his nametag lazily. Frowning a bit, Tavros leaned forward enough to read _'Gamzee Makara Interview Room G7 2:00PM'_.

"Where's G7?" He asked curiously.

"Hell if I know, motherfucker." Gamzee seemed to find it hilarious, because right as he finished speaking he tilted his head back and laughed loudly, honking his amusement so that what few students were around turned and stared at them. Flustered, both by Gamzee unexpected laugh and the curious attentions of his peers, Tavros began shaking and flushing dark crimson. Not knowing what to do, he slapped his hand over Makara's mouth, cutting short his amusement. In response, Gamzee teasingly bit Tavros's hand, and he felt his brain short-circuit.

"Gamzee!" He hissed, mortified and unable to say anything else.

"Sorry, motherfucker." Came, albeit muffled, from under Nitram's hand. "Won't do it no more if you don't wanna deal with all that motherfucking noise, bro, swear."

"Swear?" Tavros repeats doubtfully, but Gamzee enthusiastic nod doesn't give him much room to counter it, especially with his arm bouncing in time with Makara's head.

"Swear on my mirthful motherfucking messiahs," Gamzee says as solemnly as he can, the words coming clearer as Tavros moves his hand. He checks the time quickly- - -it had been eleven when they got lunch, and it had lasted for about two hours, and then there was the whole pep talk and advice giving he'd managed to miss while he'd worried unnecessarily over Sollux- - -noting that the time was closer to two than he anticipated. The thought added to his twisting nerves, and tavros was very suddenly regretting the burger and fries he'd eaten in the company of his teammates. Sitting weakly on the concrete as the door opened and a girl with long bubble-gum pink hair stepped forward, Tavros put his head in his hands and tried vainly to recall his speech.

"Shouldn't…." He gasped out quietly, trying to focus on returning himself to normal. "Your room, Gamzee…"

"Still got time." Gamzee was too high to sound anything but amused or stoned, so Tavros took little comfort in the half hour he still had before his speeches.

"It's 1:50, Gamzee, you don't, uh…" Tavros closed his eyes against the panic that welled up in his chest at his own words. It made them catch in his throat, though, and he had a harder than usual time trying to get what he wanted to say across. "You don't…don't have much, uh, time, i-it's almost two- - -" His stuttering ramble was cut off by Gamzee's hand on his head; it was partially blocked by his mowhawk, but the Varsity could still feel the warmth from his Honors teammate on the sides of his hair.

Gamzee was squatting in front of him, staring at him as seriously as he was able to.

"What's going on, little motherfucker?" He asked struggling to sound serious while high. "All this noise ain't about my motherfucking room." Tavros couldn't answer, couldn't bring himself to even fully meet his best friend's gaze.

What was he doing here? What gave him the right to stand in front of these people, these judges, when one-sixth of the team depended on his very ability to speak in front of people with enough confidence to get them to the next level of competition? What had possessed him to to even _think_ about signing up for something as stressful as this, when he was already struggling with his own school work as it was?

He couldn't hear Gamzee's voice clearly, could barely see his best friend until the Makara leaned into his personal space. Their lips were a mere inch from each other, their breaths fanning over each other's faces, and Tavros felt himself turning crimson under the unfocused indigo gaze.

"What is my main motherfucker's problem?" Gamzee asked lowly, more aware than Tavros had ever seen him before when high. It must have been clearing up, though, because after a moment Gamzee's gaze became more focused and his grip on Tavros's arms tightened painfully. His voice was lower and gravelly sounding, an underlying threat tied to his next words. "Was it that Prospit Varsity space _bitch_? Did she all up and _motherfucking_ say some unmiraculous shit to you?"

"It has nothing to do with Jade!" Tavros shot back, pushing Gamzee away. The Honors student fell back and landed roughly on his butt, but Tavros wouldn't back down; he glowered fiercely at him for a long moment, Gamzee glowering back. His nerves must have started showing through, because with a dark sigh Gamzee reached into his pocket and pulled out an unlit smoke and a lighter. Flicking it with the ease of someone familiar with the actions, Makara lit the paper and placed it to his mouth, inhaling the toxic smoke as deeply as he could manage. Holding his breath for thirty seconds, Tavros watched as his best friend's body relaxed until he breathed out.

"Then what's the motherfucking problem?" Gamzee asked again, his tone much more relaxed now. His sudden lack of sobriety annoyed Tavros, and it shot up when the Honors student offered the smoke to Tavros.

"How about the fact that I'm about to go speak in front of the judges and _I can't even remember my speech_!" Tavros hissed at Gamzee, his head buried in his hands. His breath began coming in short bursts, his fingers tugging at his mohawk in agitation. "And I don't know how to talk without stammering and looking like a fool? I can't take this pressure- - -it's giving me anxiety _and I can't stop shaking_! How am I supposed to do this, Gamzee?"

"Motherfucker needs to chill..." Gamzee said soothingly, reaching out and rubbing Tavros's shoulder. The Varsity shot him a look that was mixed of gratefulness and pure panic, making Gamzee smile lazily and envelope him in a tight hug. Tavros squeaked, remembering the last time Gamzee really hugged him, but Makara simply rocked him from side to side. Still, Tavros kept his body tense and Gamzee ran a hand down his spine; Tavros supposed he meant it soothingly, but it felt a bit threatening to the small Varsity student. All Tavros could remember was how frightening Gamzee could be, like he was ready to kill anyone who so much as looked at him wrong with his bare hands. "I'll motherfucking shoosh pap you like Karkat does me, motherfucker."

"Um, no, I- - -" Gamzee let out a deep throated laugh and pushed Tavros away, keeping his hands on the Varsity's shoulders. Once Tavros was an arm's length away from Gamzee, Makara leaned down a bit so that they could make eye contact without having Tavros crane his neck awkwardly.

"Listen up, brother." He said, his voice as serious as he could make it while high. Tavros squeaked lightly, but Gamzee shot him an encouraging smile. "I don't claim to motherfucking know what's what all up in that jittery think pan of yours, but I know this."

"Know what?"

"You can motherfucking do this!" Gamzee shook him slightly, just a soft jostle, as if he was trying to get his point across. Tavros felt a shy smile break across his face, and it seemed to encourage Gamzee. "It's simple as preaching to the dark carnival of motherfuckers we got all up and round us, only this ain't the dark carnival and these are different motherfuckers. Motherfuckers who don't know the little toreador that needs saving from horrorterrors at nighttime and unmiraculous shitstain motherfuckers."

Tavros looked down, biting his lip as Gamzee's words washed over him. Despite himself, he began growing comfortable with the way Gamzee spoke, deciphering what it was Gamzee was trying to say easily. Tavros began to relax, unwinding his tense muscles and gaining just a bit of confidence back. He was content to look at the ground until gentle fingers brushed up against his chin and coaxed his eyes up again.

He shyly met Gamzee's gaze, and Makara brushed his fingers against Tavros's cheek almost reverently.

"All they're gonna see is a miraculously courageous and confident motherfucking bull, all up and ready to smash the other motherfuckers to shit." Tavros let out a giggle, his smile breaking through. Gamzee beamed back. "Just gotta fucking breathe, bro, take in all the miraculous confidence from the fucking invisible force around you. You'll be motherfucking miraculous."

Tavros twisted his fingers together, his eyes wide with nerves. The judges all stared at him, and he forced himself to stop clenching his fingers; instead, Tavros rested them at his sides. Remembering Gamzee's advice to relax, Tavros took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, slowing his frantic heartbeat.

Right as he managed to calm himself down, the door to the room opened and someone stepped out. Glancing down, Tavros realized that it was 2:00PM and it was his turn. With one last hopeful look at his teammate, Tavros stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Good morning." He said once he'd crossed the room and stood in center of it; there was tape on the floor, in the shape of an 'x', and he stared down at it as he positioned his feet on either side of it. His voice didn't shake, he didn't stutter or say 'uh'. Tavros sounded confident, his voice neither too loud nor too soft. It encouraged him a lot more than he thought it would, and before he was even aware of it Tavros began relaxing. Confidence welled up in his chest, and for the first time he thought he could do this. "My name is Tavros Nitram."

"Hey, Tavros." The female judge waved at him slightly, a small encouraging smile on her face. She looked vaguely familiar, and for a moment all he focused on was her. It wasn't until she tilted her head subtly to the side that Tavros willed himself to look at the two males on either side of her. They introduced themselves, though their names and what they said faded into the background as the first few words of his speech came back to him.

He forced his body to relax again, taking a deep breath and holding out his arms invitingly.

"Have you ever wanted to be able to just jump in the air and fly?" Tavros curled in his fingers, turning and angling his body the way Eridan showed him. His speech came easily, and Tavros managed to relax enough that he didn't even think about what he was saying. He focused entirely on his body language; keeping eye contact with all three judges was much easier when he thought of Gamzee, Karkat, and Nepeta in the place of the three judges before him.

The classroom warped; Tavros opened his eyes and saw the expectant faces of his teammates and friends, the back wall lined with computers and posters. Gamzee was laid back, leaning back in his chair but watching Tavros with a half-smile and glazed indigo eyes. Karkat was staring at him intensely, his fingers crossed over his mouth as he scrutinized for any nervous ticks that might come back while Tavros was speaking. Nepeta was beaming at him, drumming her fingernails on the table while she recited his speech to herself.

Tavros stood just a fraction straighter, his voice coming out just a tad bit stronger. He needed to do well during competition, and Karkat was the one who would tell him if he was ready or not. Nepeta was full of praises for anyone who recited their speech before her; while having a bubbly and social personality, Nepeta had no courage to speak in front of a crowd with a speech. She sorely hated public speaking, though her uncle was the opposite. Gamzee thrived in the spotlight when it landed on him, though that might have more to do with his uncaring attitude rather than anything else. He seemed to have a rather soft spot for Tavros, though, and was more willing to look at what he'd remembered to correct to praise that rather than make any actual criticisms on how Tavros presented himself.

Karkat, though, was the one to insist on speech practice when they met in the morning, brunch, lunch, and after school. When Tavros presented his speech the first time, Karkat had slammed him with a list of criticisms he wrote down in big red letters on the white board.

Tavros shuffled his feet, he said 'uh' and 'um' too much, he drifted side to side aimlessly, his fingers were always twisting together, he played with the edges of his sleeve, and he slouched and wouldn't look in anyone's general direction, let alone make eye contact. It took him too long to remember parts of his speech even with the paper right in front of him, and when he wasn't drifting or shuffling, he stood solitary in one spot.

In other words, he was an utter failure.

Karkat made it a team effort to draw Tavros out of his shell. He, Dave, and Equius worked on helping Tavros memorize his speech, as during competition he wouldn't even be allowed to have notecards. Eridan, Gamzee, and John taught Tavros how to hold himself while speaking; they focused on making his body language more comfortable and not scream out in panic when he moved. Sollux and Vriska would pop in wherever they were needed, though Sollux focused on making Tavros's speech sound natural and Vriska would throw fake spiders at him whenever he stuttered or shifted nervously.

And though the constant practicing had done him no good when it came to presenting his speech the night before, it certainly paid off now. His voice had never been surer, his hands and legs were barely shaking, and Tavros felt a something stirring in his gut that he'd never felt before.

Once his speech was over, ten seconds under the required four minutes, Tavros felt a bit of his nerves come back. Since the judges had called time and were scribbling down comments, he felt it was ok to retreat a little; he hunched into his shoulders just a bit, biting his lip and placing most of his weight on his right foot.

"Tavros?" The familiar female judge waved her hand a bit, catching his attention. When he looked shyly at her, she smiled encouragingly and motioned to the desk. "Your impromptu, hon."

"Right." Tavros stepped quickly to the desk against the wall, hoping the judges didn't notice the minute trembling of his hands and legs. Stopping in front of the table, Tavros didn't give himself time to stop and consider; he immediately reached for the paper on the far left, flipping it over with something akin to nervousness.

_'1. Define the word 'anarchy' and describe a time when you experienced anarchy._

_2\. Do you feel we have taken too many risks in pursuit of energy independence? Explain._

_3\. "The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicafe" – Joseph Priestly_

_Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your opinion.'_

Once again blindly picking a topic and praying to whatever was listening that he would not screw this up, Tavros mentally prepared the bullets for his speech. There was a pile of paper and a pen just to the side of the prompts, but he ignored both in favor of staring wide-eyed at the topic he'd chosen.

"Your minute is up." A gruff voice sounded from behind him. "Your impromptu please."

"Right." Tavros nodded and turned to face the judges again, stepping quickly to the center of the room. Taking a deep breath, he smiled shakily and began. "With today's technology, communicating with each other is easier than ever. We call, text, email, and skype with each other. It's not even limited to two people anymore; we can have whole group conversations without leaving the sanctity of our rooms. But with the technology we have today, are we finding that we actually communicate with each other less than before?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same day, different section

Tavros walked out of the speech room feeling like a weight had fallen off his shoulders, though he knew he wasn't entirely in the clear yet. It was only 2:07, and he still had his interview at 2:24 in room P2. None of his teammates were around, which made Tavros feel slightly disappointed; he shook it off with a slight sigh.

He'd wanted Gamzee to be the first person he found after his speeches so that he could thank the Makara for his help. There was no way he would have done so well had he been left to his own devices, and Tavros felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for his slightly manic best friend.

But Gamzee had his own stuff to worry about; Tavros wondered how his interview was going, and when his speech was. Before he knew it, he'd run into Equius and fallen backwards.

"My deepest apologies." The stronger student rumbled, leaning down and easily lifting Tavros several inches in the air as he tried to right the smaller boy. "I had not seen you there. Are you all right?"

"Fine!" Tavros squeaked in response, his feet dangling as Equius shook him once before placing him gently on his feet. A line of sweat broke out on his face, quickly falling down his face, and Zahhak reached up to wipe it away with the sleeve of his shirt before freezing entirely. More sweat collected on his brow, and underneath his cracked sunglasses, Tavros could see Equius's eyes darting around nervously.

"Do you, ah, happen to- - -"

"I don't have anything on me." Tavros admitted reluctantly, though he brightened a bit. "Oh, but there's a bathroom somewhere, I think." He checked the time- - -2:10- - -and decided that he had just enough time to help Equius before his interview. "Come on, this way." Tavros led the way, Equius following sheepishly behind until they found an empty boys bathroom across from the room for Tavros's interview. Quietly thanking heaven for small mercies, Tavros immediately strolled inside and grabbed handfuls of paper towels in his hands. Without comment, Nitram strode over and began gently moping up the sweat that lined Equius's hair, careful not to mess with his hair or his sunglasses.

"I'm not a wriggling mass." Equius snapped at Tavros when the Varsity tried to reach his forehead by standing on his toes. Tavros flushed darkly and lowered himself back onto the balls of his feet sheepishly, drawing his arms back to his sides with a muted sigh; Equius copied the sound, much harsher and more irritated than Tavros, which made him wince and draw back more.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, eyes darting for an escape. Only two minutes had passed, but he didn't want to stay with Equius if the Zahhak was just going to be impatient with him; he was bigger and by far the strongest on their team physically, and Tavros had this inkling that showing up for his interview looking like he just came out of the losing side of a fight would surely knock his scores down dramatically. He wouldn't forgive himself for something like that, let alone Vriska with her single-tracked mind on getting to State.

"No, you aren't the one in error." Equius shot back swiftly, his voice gruff and pulling the Varsity's attention. "The fault is mine. I apologize." The Scholastic sat down on the floor of the bathroom, seemingly uncaring of the fact that it was a bathroom floor and contained an infinite amount of germs. Cringing inwardly, Tavros kneeled down in front of him.

It fell quiet after that, and Tavros shifted uncomfortably for a moment, the dirty tile hard on his knees. Uncertain exactly of how to start, Tavros took a paper towl and gently pressed it to the top of Equius's forehead, just under the roots on his hair. It soaked quickly, pulling as much of the moisture into it as it was supposed to, but it didn't seem to stop the steady flow. Wincing a bit at the warm liquid that quickly covered his fingers, Tavros reached blindly and grabbed another couple paper towels. They were scratchy, and Tavros pretended that he was mopping up blood on an injury to remind himself to be gentle with Equius's face.

It was a slightly odd thing to do, but he ignored the thought to focus on his teammate.

"Thank you." Equius said quietly after a long moment of awkward silence. Tavros made a humming noise, and the Scholastic reluctantly confessed, "Nepeta is usually the only one who…" He gingerly took some of the paper towels Tavros was using and began mopping up his face.

"I, uh, figured as much." Tavros said sheepishly as Equius reluctantly pulled off his shades. He hung them reverently on the top button of his shirt to ensure that they wouldn't get in the way as he began wiping the sides of his face. "Is she the one who gave you the sunglasses?" Equius looked up at him sharply with deep blue eyes, revealing the color to Tavros for the first time since Nitram had met him. His gaze was sharp and piercing, and mixed with the sterness in his jaw, Tavros felt as though he asked something that was completely private. Flushing darkly, he pressed more paper towels to the side of Equius's head and noted that he wasn't sweating as much anymore.

"Yes." The Scholastic answered shortly. "They were a birthday gift for my birthday when I was nine."

"So you've known her a while then." Tavros surmised. His thoughts strayed a bit while Equius began mumbling to himself about past memories with Nepeta and Gamzee, thinking of what to say during his interview. The other portion of today's competition was another source of constant irritation for not only Karkat, but Tavros as well. It wasn't just the speaking portion of it, either, as Tavros was infinitely more comfortable answering questions rather than just speech giving (not that his interview was much better; he was still sitting opposite three strangers and that was enough to still retain his uncontrollable stutter).

No, their combined irritation came from the fact that he was so painfully boring.

He wasn't part of any clubs outside of Academic Decathlon, or sports, or anything. He liked to read, he didn't really watch tv and he had an interest in FLARPing that drove Karkat and his brother mad. He liked animals so much that he seemed to have a connection with them, as he attracted just about any type of animal to him, but other than that he stayed cooped up in his room. Tavros didn't even have many friends outside of the people he'd met this year for AcaDec. Jade was the first friend he made on his own in a long time, but even Tavros knew that such an accomplishment was more pathetic than prideful. But that was his life, and it left him with very litte to talk about; the only thing that could potentially make Tavros stand out is the mowhawk that he's had since he was twelve.

"Are you all right, Tavros?" Equius questioned, and Tavros realized that he was just kneeling on the floor, one hand pressed against the side of his teammate's head and staring as his watched ticked seconds away to the next minute. The Scholastic was seemingly over with his sweat-like panic attack, and was now peering up at the Varsity from underneath cracked shades.

"I'm fine." He stammered, pulling away. Mind scrambling for the last topic they were on, the Varsity collected himself enough to spit out the first thing that came to mind while still trying to sound as if he had been paying attention. "You're, uh, really close with Nepeta." Tavros smiled slightly, silently praying that the subject of the one-sided conversation hadn't changed. "Aren't you?"

"She is all but my other half." Equius responded formally, though his body language was relaxed. "It is a most fulfilling of bonds."

"I see…" Tavros stood and his knees cracked as he did so; he hated leaving Equius alone, but he didn't have time to search for anyone else, because it was 2:20 and he was starting to cut it dangerously close. There wasn't much time to plan for his looming interview, but Tavros was at least going to try. Still… "When is your speech or interview, Equius?"

"I've just finished my speech." The Scholastic answered. "I have twenty minutes until my interview." He noticed Tavros glancing at the door. "Go."

"Are you sure?" Tavros asked uncertainly. "I really don't, mean to, uh…"

"Good luck on your interview." Equius told him calmly. Smiling at the other boy, Tavros escaped the bathroom, wiping at his knees as he stood next to the door that would lead him to his interview. Mentally losting things that he could say that would potentially make him stand out, Tavros almost missed it when the interviewee came out almost two minutes early. Frowning slightly, Tavros debated for a moment before throwing caution to the wind; he grabbed a hold of the door before it closed and pulled it open. Quickly not allowing himself to think too much, he strode into the room and sat himself down on the only unoccupied chair in the room.

"Hello." One of the interviewers looked slightly surprised that Tavros was sitting across from them so soon after they sent out the last student. Reality crashed in on Tavros then, and he couldn't answer with anything other than a quick nod of his head. The other judge frowned slightly, throwing her bangs back with a quick push of her hands. Like with his speech, Tavros found himself focusing on the female interviewer as if that would make him less nervous.

It doesn't.

The female interviewer is thin and lean and long. She looks bored, her gaze lidded and wandering the room. Long, bright crimson nails were tapping a rhythym against both the table and her cheek. There's a brief moment where her gaze meets Tavros's, and she blows him a kiss from where's she's sitting. As he turned crimson, she leaned back and stretched so that her bright red tank top is visible. Her legs are visible under the table, smooth and pale and uncovered by any cloth; her skirt, though long enough to drag on the floor as she shifts, has slits on both sides all the way up to her thighs, probably a little higher.

She reminds Tavros a little of Porrim, from the one time he met her, until she catches his eye and tosses the giant bun on her head back in annoyance.

"We should start the interview." She snaps, an accent thick and rich on her tongue. Tavros is still trying to place it when she shoots out the first question. It's only one word, and it took the Varsity an embarrassing four seconds to understand. "Name?"

"Tavros."

"And…" She falters and looks down at the papers in front of her, eyes scanning the list of questions that she has before her. Neither man on either side of her make any attempts to ask their own question at the moment; she picks one out at random and stumbles over the words as she asks him, "What are your hobbies?"

Crap.

"I like," Tavros says firmly, his brow furrowed with focus as he tries not to stutter, "to read." He doesn't say anything more because he doesn't have to anything else to say. She frowns and leans forward, the question dropping from her lips like bullets.

"What are your hobbies?"

"I read." Tavros answered. Feeling her annoyance, he tries to think of something else to say. "I dabble in writing, sometimes. Short stories and poems. And every once in a while, I volunteer at the animal shelter."

"Why the animal shelter?" One of the male judges finally cuts in, and it surprises Tavros to hear the low grumbling voice so much that he snaps his head to his left.

"I like animals, and they like me." Tavros replied. "Sometimes I go to play with them. But, usually, I…uh." Trailing off had nothing to do with nerves; it was more the content that gave him pause, and Tavros forced it out as clearly as he could. "I give comfort. To the animals that don't, get adopted and have to be, um, put down." He looked down at his hands, momentarily breaking eye contact. It was such a morbid thing to say, he knew, and it wasn't a particularly pleasant portion of his volunteer work. He's not even sure how he got sucked into doing such a thing, to be honest.

"What, ah…" It was the female interviewer again, staring hard at thr paper. "Which fic-tion-al char-ac-ter would you like to meet the most?"

"Fictional character?" A bright smile crossed his face. "Peter Pan."

"Why that one specifically?" The other male judge asked, cowering slightly under the sudden glare of the middle interviewer.

"Oh, because," Tavros flushed a bit, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Peter can fly!" The three gave him a confused look, and he rushed to explain further. "Flying is something that has always interested me. It's so freeing, and to be able to fly in the air unhindered that way would be so amazing!" Tavros bounced a bit in his seat, to thr amusement of his interviewers. "And the adventures in Neverland- - -the pirates and the mermaids, and to have a troop of Lost Boys…" he sighed happily. "To have adventures like that would be the best thing in the world, to be honest."

"You're very passionate about that, aren't you?" The female interviewer asked with a smile. "My little girl, my youngest, is like that. She's in another of these rooms, I believe."

"You have a daughter on an Academic Decathlon team?"Tavros asked, his interest peaked. She nodded once and shuffled the papers.

"And her team is very strong, I believe. Which brings the question: what holds your team together?"

Tavros blanched a bit; Karkat had told him what to say in case he was asked this question, but it had disappeared and he couldn't remember what to say. They were looking at him expectantly, though, and he tried to think quickly.

He thought of Karkat and Gamzee, and how the team leader forced information into the other boy's head more harshly than he did the rest of the team. Of how Eridan and Sollux fought near constantly, but with Feferi with them, they were able to achieve more together than they would have on their own. Tavros thought of John and Dave and Vriska, the weird friendly antagonistic bond that they had with each other. Equius and Nepeta's 'soul-mate' type relationship, with Equius protecting the smaller girl and Nepeta returning the favor by bringing joy and comfort to the much bigger boy. Terezi and Kanaya, and even Rose and him, and how his friend pool had grown with each person that had gotten closer to him through the team.

"Friendship." He answered confidently. Smiling a bit, he realized what a stupid answer it was. It was too late, though, he couldn't take the words back. "We're a dysfunctional group, to be honest, but it only looks that way. We have a crazy dictator for a leader when it comes to studying, and the only girl on our team has a single-track mind that is so focused on going to State she can't think of anything else. And there's this one guy that sweats almost all the time, especially when he gets nervous, and another is extremely high right now." The judges all raised their eyebrows at that, but Tavros was so engrossed in his words that he didn't notice. "But underneath all that dysfunction, we care. Our leader only wants to make sure that we know the materials for our tests, and the girl on our team is willing to help anyone to ensure we're the best. The guy who's high is the sweetest, most caring person on our team, and the other one is the best public speaker that we have, even with his sweating, and would do anything for the rest of us." Tavros shook his head a bit and smiled fondly. "I'm pretty sure friendship is what holds us all together."

"That's…the most informative answer I think we've gotten all day." One of the interviewers chuckled. "Now, I think we have time for a couple more questions before we send you on your way, ok?" Tavros nodded in agreement. "So, firstly, which Academic Decathlon event do you find the most difficult?"

"Math and Speech, no question." Tavros smiled shyly for the first time, ruffling his mowhawk awkwardly. "I'm not very good with Mathematics in general, to be honest, and having to deal with trigonometry would probably make my head explode." He flushed a bit and said, just loudly enough for the interviewers to hear, "and Speeches I'm just no good at, unfortunately, they make me very nervous."

"You're adorable." The woman in red cooed. She looked pleased with herself when Tavros turned a darker red, shooting out words in her native language so quickly it was making the Varsity's head swim.

"Your most favorite Academic Decathlon subject?" The other man cut in quickly.

"Language and Literature." He answered just as promptly as the previous. "I'm not too fond of the assigned book, to be honest, but I love the short stories and poems. The backgrounds on the authors was interesting too, and I really liked the interview with Cesar Chavez about growing up during the Great Depression."

"That's a good topic to like." The female interviewer made some kind of squealing noise, though she was carefully ignored. "Last question, Tavros, and then you're free to go ok?" He nodded again, a relieved feeling growing in his gut already. Tavros didn't think the interview could have gone any better, and he was eager to get out of the room to wait for the remainder of his teammates to join them.

"What makes someone a good friend?" The question stumped him and for a moment Tavros didn't have an answer. He was friends, however forcefully, with his team. What, aside from the close quarters from studying constantly, drew him to them?

John was funny; even if his pranks and disguises were a bit stupid sometimes, he still managed to get a laugh out of everyone and break the tension of constant information overload. Dave had weirded him out at first, especially because of his shades and his ability to speak so freely about things that made Tavros squirm; but something had changed, ever since their study session at Sollux's house, and Dave was more careful around him physically. Vriska, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to trust her fully, but she had helped Tavros a lot in the past couple of weeks due to her insistence on getting to State; she'd taken to standing up for him in her own way against the bullies of the school that tried to pick on him. Equius made him nervous still, but he was seeing him in a different light after their moment in the bathroom. Eridan and Sollux sometimes smothered everyone around them with big bouts of tension that had nothing to do with the competition, and Karkat was rough but loyal and dedicated to his team.

And Gamzee…

"Dependability," he started firmly. "And loyalty. A good friend is someone who can stand by your side and support you, but who can also turn around and snap at you when you're acting dumber than a pile of rocks. Someone who can bully and tease you, but also defends you against anyone else who tries to do the same. They can play pranks and make you uncomfortable, or just talk about anything with full trust in the other person. Someone who could put you down and then pick you up in the same sentence, and who will patiently wait for you to grasp a concept even if they aren't a patient person."

"Thank you, Tavros." The female interviewer cleared her throat and shuffled her papers around again. Taking a sip of water, she waved at him and gestured to the door. "You are free to go now. Have a good day."

Realizing the dismissal for what it was, Tavros nodded and stood up, shaking hands with all three of the interviewers. She took a hold of his hand, pressing a firm kiss to his palm and leaving behind a perfect imprint of rust colored lipstick. Pulling away, she flashed him a slightly wolfish smile.

"Shame you're so young." She muttered under her breath. "You're adorable." A sentence shot out of her mouth, but she waved him on when he tilted his head in confusion.

Waving one last time, Tavros walked out the door.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the first day

"Uh, hey, guys!" Tavros found his group easily enough, having heard Karkat's voice coming from the direction of the tables where all their stuff was. He'd followed the complaints until the others swam into view, Parcel Mistress sitting downd and engrossed in a book a few spots away from the rest of the team.

"You finished?" John asked Tavros with a big smile, beaming at his Varsity teammate. "I've just ended with my speech now, we're just waiting for Eridan, Dave, and Equius- - -oh, hi Eridan!"

"I fucking hate this shit." Eridan groand, slumping down on the table and burying his face in his arms. "That fucking interviewer wouldn't shut up about stupid shit that didn't have anything to do with the interview. God, am I glad that's over with."

"Oi, asshat!" Karkat joined their conversation with a wide grin, which relieved Tavros a bit; Karkat had a habit of sounding pissed off even when he wasn't, and it was really hard to tell whether he was or not without his facial cues and body language. He looked more pleased than anything else at the moment. "Why the fuck didn't you tell us that you had Porrim as a judge for your speech?"

"I- - -what?" Tavros frowned a bit. "I saw Porrim?"

"She texted me and told me that you did particularly well for your speech, considering the issues you had last fucking night. Your improv speech was much better this time." Tavros frowned for a bit, staring hard at the top of the table as he thought. He remembered that the female judge for his speech looked familiar; it was the color of her hair and the tilt of her eyes that sparked some memory in him, one that made him keep eye contact with mostly her as he spoke and recited his speech. She had given him subtle clues, he thought, to help him: tilting her head to remind him to acknowledge the others around her, spinning her pen to remind him to move freely and not stand so stiffly.

He felt like an idiot for not realizing it before, but he had been so nervous that he could barely focus on the recognition tugging at the back of his mind.

"Did she say anything about how Tavros would be scored?" Vriska asked, leaning over to join the conversation. "I though the randomization of the rooms was supposed to be so that there wasn't any bias on the scoring."

"Porrim won't tell me shit like that." Karkat snapped. "She's been doing this for fucking years. She just wanted me to know that even if I don't know how his fucking interview goes, Nitram did ok with his speech."

"My interview went well." Tavros cut in quickly. At everyone's attention, he flushed bit. "I mean, one of the interviewers seemed to really like me, so that counts as something for me, right?"

"Depends on the interviewers, and the other two that were in the room." John piped up with a bright grin. "But a bias in your favor in even one judge or interviewer is a good thing. That could really boost your scores!"

"We won't have any way of knowing until Monday, to be honest." Vriska jumped off the seat she had been sitting on, brushing her hair away from her face with an irritated hand. "Until then, we still have seven tests and Public Humilation to get through. So let's keep our focus and not get sidetracked by stupid shit until then, all right?" Everyone stared at the Scholastic for a moment until she turned on her heel and headed in the direction of Dave and Equius.

"Vriska, where are you going?" Karkat demanded.

"I want to get the fuck out of here as soon as Strider and Zahhak are done." She called back. "Their rooms weren't too far apart from each other. I intend to keep an eye out for them and get the fuck out of here as soon as I see them." After a moment, John scrambled up and ran after her; Eridan had to tug on Sollux's arm before the Varsity was willing to get up and follow. Grumbling, Karkat tapped on Parcel Mistress's arm to get her attention before grabbing onto Gamzee and, by extension, Tavros and going after the group.

They stumbled across Dave leaning against a wall, his head tilted back and his mouth moving rapidly as he recited his speech. John jumped on him from the side, nearly knocking his shades off as he stumbled to the side in an attempt to keep them both upright. Vriska made some quiet derogatory comment about, one that earned a glare from John and a snort from Dave. Karkat was hissing- - -extremely loudly- - -that they needed to keep quiet because of the students still giving speeches and interviews. Parcel Mistress was thoroughly undisturbed, continuing to read her book and ignoring the grappling that Dave started with Karkat.

"So, how exactly does Karkat know Porrim?" Tavros asked Gamzee, sitting on the ground beside his best friend; he kept a slight distance between them due to how the Makara smelled, something the Honors student took note of with bleary eyes and a wide, vacant smile.

"What's all the noise in your thinkpan, motherfucker?" He drawled slowly, the words rolling in his mouth like marbles. He was still high, higher than he probably should be, and that made it difficult to understand him as well as Tavros normally would. It took him a couple of moments more than usual to discern what Gamzee's trying to say, and by the time he does Dave is already strolling towards the room for his speech and Karkat is settling into Gamzee's other side with a fierce scowl and deep grumbles of annoyance.

Tavros decided it's better to not ask when Karkat's right there.

"How did your speech go, Karkat?" He asked instead, leaning around Gamzee to make eye contact with the other Varsity. Out of the corner of his eye, Tavros watched as Sollux sat with his head on his knees, arms drawn to keep Eridan from talking to him; the action hasn't gone unnoticed by Ampora, who has a deep set scowl on his face and is very pointedly trying to talk to Captor anyway.

"All right, I guess." Karkat sounded worn down and a bit tired; he was leaning his head against Gamzee's shoulder as best as he could. His eyes were closed, his features not as anger-sharp as they usually were. Tavros wasn't sure which Karkat he preferred, though he knew it would only last a ahort while before he was back to normal. "I just can't wait for today to be over already." He sighed deeply when Makara reached down and ran his hands through Vantas's hair. "It's just been too damn long of a fucking day."

"Well at least we're half done." John said encouragingly, coming to sit on Karkat's other side with a slight groan. He offered a hand to the team leader, which caused Karkat to open his eyes blearily.

"You think that 'cause I'm tired, I'm a fucking idiot?" He snapped tiredly. "Screw you, Egbert." John shrugged and leaned over, offering the same hand to Tavros.

"Congratulations on doing better on your speech, Tavros." John smiled warmly at his Varsity teammate. "I'm sure you did great." Tavros smiled tiredly as thanks, but he debated on whether or not to take John's hand; recently, the Egbert had been using the tension in order to up his prankster's gambit. It pissed Karkat off to no end, but even Vantas's rage was enough to keep John from completing his endeavor.

His more recent attempts included stealing Vriska's octo-dice and hiding them in various places in the core and classroom; each one Serket found managed to add to the amount of times she hit him on the head. After that, he shocked Karkat's hand into numbness, which infuriated Vantas into a screaming match that only ended when John's dad picked him up. Then was Equius and the sudden lack of towels anywhere in the classroom; John regretted that one without Zahhak having to do much else but get nervous. Even Gamzee had been affected, because John spent the whole day convincing Gamzee that his speech was missing something; Makara had spent the whole day staring at the paper that had his speech on it, peering at it and trying to figure out what John meant before finally going to the team leader for help.

Karkat yelled at Egbert for that too.

Actually, the only people not affected by the supposed Pranking Master that was John Egbert was Dave and Tavros. That thought alone made the Varsity slightly nervous and unwilling to take anything John offered at face value. Reluctantly, Tavros reached out and clamped his hand in John's.

He didn't realize how tense he was until nothing happened and his shoulders dropped. Smiling a bit more warmly, Tavros tightened his grip on John's hand and shook it several times.

"Thanks, John." The Varsity smiled gratefully, leaning back against the pole behind him. Egbert smiled back innocently, sitting back properly next to Karkat for a brief moment before jumping to his feet again. He vanished, though Tavros and Karkat barely seemed to notice; Karkat had closed his eyes again and Tavros was barely paying attention to his surroundings, just leaning against Gamzee's side.

For the next couple minutes, the only thing to break the silence coming from the Alternia was the hushed conversations of students passing by. It was very relaxing, unwinding the team as a whole in a way that they hadn't allowed themselves since January. For a split moment, surrounded by his teammates and using Gamzee's shoulder as a pillow, Tavros wished they could stay like this forever. There was a quiet clicking, but didn't really register in Tavros's mind until it stopped.

The two different doors opened at the same time; Equius was coming from the room further down the hall, but Dave was waving at the judges two doors down. Tavros smiled truly for the first time that day as Equius and Dave joined them at last. It meant everyone's interviews and speeches were done for the day, and they were free to go home. Even Equius and Dave seemed to have a semi-relaxed air about them, and it was only 3:30; they had plenty of time to go home and study more or relax. Tavros began standing up, offering his hand to Gamzee to help the Makara up; he'd promised, almost against his better judgment, to go and spend the night before the tests at Makara's house with Gamzee and Karkat.

"Oh, wait, wait!" Parcel Mistress was waving her hand, trying to get everyone's attention while digging in her bag. Everyone turned to her; once she was sure she had the entire team's attention, she focused almost entirely on digging something out of her bag without spilling her packages.

Tavros wondered why she always had so many and what was in them.

"Found it!" She said breathlessly as she pulled out a camera. Smiling widely, Parcel Mistress turned to them and held it up enticingly. "Let's get a group picture!" The whole team groaned, and her smile faltered a bit. "Come on, guys, for memories!"

"Why the hell would we want to remember this?" Vriska snorted in derision. She was stretching her arms above her head, her spine cracking as she tilted her body around. "I mean, come on. This is nothing but torture to all of us masochistic enough to willing go through this."

"You saying you enjoy mental torture being inflicted on you as well as your own on others?" Dave deadpanned with a tug on her hair. "Kinky."

"Dave!" John whined as Vriska rounded on him with a sharp grin, mouth open to form some kind of rebuttal.

"Anyway!" Karkat yelled, physically throwing himself between the two Scholastics, "Picture might be a good idea. Besides," He added with a pointed glare at Vriska, "It's kind of a tradition. A fucking stupid one, but tradition nonetheless." Firmly ignoring Serket's snort of derision, Vantas narrowed his eyes as he tried to find a spot for them to stand.

"Ooh, oh, we should do the same one as last year!" Parcel Mistress squealed; her excitement was contagious, because John and Eridan seemed to be more in tuned to the idea the more she went on. "Remember that, Karkat, where you guys were jumping off the bench? I could've sworn I put it in the yearbook last year, but then again…"

"Yea, yea, I fucking remember." Vantas huffed irritably, eyes scanning the area around them for a bench they could stand on. As each one proved to be occupied, he started grumbling under his breath; it wasn't as quiet as he thought it was, though. As he made a snide comment about traditions, the Varsity leader said something about using the exact bench they had jumped from the year before.

"Oh, what a wonderful idea!" Parcel Mistress exclaimed, beaming. "Why don't you guys find it so we can take our picture?"

"I was fucking joking!" Karkat protested, his words falling on deaf ears as she began looking around earnestly. "Wait just one god damned moment, I didn't actually- - -"

"Let it go." Dave deadpanned. Patting Vantas's shoulder, he smirked as he gestured to Vriska, who was helping their oft-missing coach search the high school for 'their' bench.

"FUCK!" Karkat yelled, burying his face in his hands and ignoring the startled looks of the teams around them. Snickering, Dave patted his shoulder again before flash stepping after John, who was following Vriska.

She found the bench they were looking for first, running and taking a flying leap to land right on it. John and Dave followed, though Dave's movements were considerably slower considering his flash stepping speed. Following Parcel Mistress's instructions, Vriska stood in the middle of the bench, striking a pose until John took her right hand in his. Dave took John's other hand, then held out an ironic hand to Sollux that the Captor accepted. He was pulled onto the bench, his other hand already entwined with Eridan's, who stepped calmly up. Karkat unwillingly took Vriska's left hand, Gamzee loping up onto the bench easily; Tavros, who was followed by Equius, stood on the bench between Gamzee and the Scholastic, hand clasped firmly in Makara's much bigger one. Their coach motioned for the team to stand as close together as possible as she readied the camera.

"We jump on three, fuckasses!" Karkat yelled from the other side of Gamzee, followed by Vriska's whine that he was too loud. Tavros's other hand found its way into Equius's, and he squeezed both hands in his with excitement. "One!" Gamzee squeezed back; Tavros bent his knees slightly, feeling Equius and Gamzee do the same on either side of him. He hoped that the others were doing the same, feeling a bit stupid. There were still teams there, after all, and Tavros could practically feel the curious eyes on them as they prepared to jump. "Two!"

"Three!" They all yelled at once. Their unity created a loud commotion that definitely attracted attention, but by that point none of them cared. Tavros felt the muscles in his leg work as he pushed himself off the bench, his grip on the taller students helping bring him up just a bit higher in the air.

A wide smile crossed Tavros's face, wider than his face was used to, as he moved through the wind. It pulled at his cheeks, his mohawk ruffling in the wind as he hung suspended in the air. His heart raced, not the same way it was earlier before his speech and interview, but in a genuinely happy way. He'd never felt such overwhelming joy before; the sun was warm on his back, Gamzee's hand was held firmly in his own, and he'd conquered what was without a doubt the hardest part of the decathlon. He had friends, he had just a tiny bit of self-confidence and courage, and he was so sure about the rest of his tests tomorrow that he could finally sleep easy that night for the first time in months.

Tavros jumped and, in that moment, felt like he knew how to fly.


	19. Intermission 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a new perspective

Intermission 3

\- - -: Be Hours In The Future, But Not Many, Aradia Megido

"Thanks for deciding to drive me back to the school." Aradia sent her mother a strained smile as she climbed into the passenger seat. "You didn't have to."

" _It's nothing, I just wanted to see you. It's been some time._ " Damara smiled back, her smile a bit warmer than her daughter's. " _I miss you, Aradia._ "

"I do too, mom." Aradia frowned slightly, twisting herself around to look in the back seat. "Where's Hanada? I thought she was with you."

" _That girl._ " Damara clucked disdainfully. " _She doesn't have your good head, Aradia. She's brought down shame on herself once again._ "

"What are you talking about?"

" _She's in jail again. Broke her parole by having a pair of knives hidden down her boots, and a small pile of drugs in the backseat of a stolen car._ "

"I though Hanada was going straight." Aradia grumbled, crossing her arms irritably. "She promised me that she would, when she came home. She said she wouldn't do that anymore."

" _Well, she did. She always will, that's the problem with stubborn girls like her. Always looking for a way out, and someone to blame their problems on._ " She made a spitting noise, a slight scowl twisting her face. " _We'll be better off without her, I say. But enough about Hanada._ " Damara waved dismissively, beginning the long drive to Prospit. " _We have other things to discuss._ "

"Mom, I'm tired." Aradia protested immediately, not wanting to get into a discussion with her mother. More often than not, Damara Megido imprinted her views on her daughters whether they wanted them or not. Before, Aradia would have complied and followed her mother's wishes, but not now; she was starting to see herself in a new light that wasn't her mother's, and she didn't want it ruined by a fight.

" _You should never be too tired to speak with your mother, Aradia._ " She chastised in response. " _Now, one of my interviewees looked very promising, dear. You would like him; he's quiet and shy, like you, but he loves animals._ "

"Mom, tell me you were not matchmaking." Aradia buried her head in her hands, humiliation coloring her words. "Please, mom, tell me that you did not look at this and think that you could find me a-a husband or something." When Damara sniffed haughtily in response, Aradia felt her eyes grow wide in panic. "Mom!"

" _I'm looking out for me and mine, Aradia._ " Her mother said stiffly, unaware or not caring about Aradia's growing embarrassment. " _Someone has to. It falls on me to play a father's role and ensure you will be provided for in your later years._ "

"I'm not even fifteen yet, mom!" Aradia hissed. "What is the matter with you?"

" _I will not tolerate being spoken to that way, Aradia._ "

"Mom, this is ridiculous. I can't believe you!" Aradia leaned her head against the window of the car, staring out at the other vehicles driving by. "I should've hitched a ride with Jake or Kankri and Porrim."

" _Nonsense; I am perfectly capable of driving you back myself._ " Damara tapped her hands against the steering wheel as she slowed to a red light. " _Besides, I've not seen you many times in the past two years. I'd almost think that you're avoiding me, Aradia._ "

"I'm not." The younger Megido said shortly, annoyance tinging her voice. Silence filled air for a good twenty minutes before she added, "I thought you said you were learning English, mom. Shouldn't you be speaking that?"

" _Bah!_ " Damara scoffed, keeping her eyes focused on the road. " _I've no need to speak such a complicated language with you. You understand me just fine. It is you who should speak in Japanese around me, daughter, because it seems to me that the longer you are away, the less you remember about your heritage._ "

"I told you before, it's not like that." Aradia snapped, sinking in the seat. Without taking her eyes off the road, Damara reached out slapped her daughter's arm; it wasn't hard enough to leave a mark, but it stung and the sound of skin on skin made Aradia straighten instantly. "Ow, fuck, mom!" The words earned her another slap, this time across her mouth, and Aradia drew back from her mother; hurt and anger swam with the tears in her eyes, accusing her mother even though Damara wasn't looking at her.

" _You watch your language around me._ " The older woman said calmly. " _I am not raising daughters who swear like sailors and slouch like lazy American swine. You know better than that, Aradia. I am very disappointed with you. I do hope you are not behaving shamefully when you are at school. You have still to redeem yourself from your pathetic attempt at suicide._ "

"And what, exactly, is shameful, mom?" Aradia bit out through clenched teeth. "What was the first thing to bring shame to the Megido name? Was it Hanada's continuous arrests before her disappearance with that boy you so disapproved of? Or when she came back after having a miscarriage and managed to get arrested again?"

" _Silence yourself, Aradia._ "

"Or was it when you left Japan with a lover who abandoned you as soon as he was able?" Aradia's hand shot out when her mother reached to slap her again; the younger girl's hand tightened around her mother's wrist, refusing to be silenced for the first time in her life. "Was it when I attempted to take my own life and failed? _Or was it when you turned to drugs and alcohol and men like the pathetic, washed-up, used whore that you are?_ "

" _How dare you speak to me that way?_ " Damara hissed. " _Where is your respect?_ "

" _You aren't worthy of my respect._ " Aradia shot back coldly. The familiar words were tinted with an American accent, but Aradia didn't notice it and she didn't give her mother a chance to comment on it. " _You're barely worthy of the honor to call yourself my mother. You still have a lot to do and a lot to learn before you can even begin regaining my trust, let alone my affection and respect._ " She released her mother's hand, turning away from her and glaring out the window again. Aradia sighed darkly, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. It made her lean her head against the window, her throat closing and her eyes pricking with tears for a different reason.

She _hated_ fighting, especially with her mother. It tore at her heart and at her upbringing, because she knew how much her words damaged the woman across from her. Aradia had purposefully chosen words that would bite and injure her mother, striking at the one thing Damara valued other than her daughters: the family name and what it represented when others heard of it. It was a long standing Japanese upbringing, to worry about how much shame one brought on their family, and not only was it ingrained firmly in Damara, it was a part of Hanada and Aradia.

And Aradia understood, she did. For a long time, she felt as though her suicide attempt was preceding her. She had been hesitant to reach out, meet new people, join clubs, because she was sure that as soon as her name- - -beautiful and flowing and exotic in this country, _Aradia Megido_ \- - -was uttered, the people around her would connect it to the dark, depressing, suicidal girl that she was; it didn't matter that the students in Prospit didn't know her, or that they were as messed up as she had been. It had taken a lot of sessions with Calliope, the school's resident psychiatrist, and Porrim before she was able to grow properly.

Still, Aradia was deeply ashamed that she had fallen so far so quickly, and she knew her mother was the same way. She didn't often talk about Aradia and Hanada's father, but she spoke often and longingly about her family in Japan; she wanted to go back home to them, but she had little money, two kids, and no support but her own.

" _I'm sorry, mom._ " Aradia admitted as they pulled up to Prospit. " _Perhaps I had gone a bit too far, but- - -_ "

"Enough, Aradia." Her mother smiled back at her, though her words were strained against the expression and thick with a Japanese accent. "Your school awaits. I'll see you soon."

" _As you wish, mother._ "Aradia responded with a strained smile of her own; she pushed the door open and stepped down, pulling her backpack with her as she did so. Waving at Damara, Aradia pulled her bag on her shoulder and closed the door. " _I'll see you at the competition tomorrow, right?_ "

"I will be." Damara confirmed. "Make me proud, Aradia."


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Test Anxiety

Tavros stared up at the darkened ceiling, trying to keep his breathing quiet and even. Gamzee was laying to his right, his left arm slung over Tavros's waist in a loose hold. Each soft exhale of breath warmed Tavros's forehead, ruffling the front of his mowhawk and blowing the strands away. Karkat was on his left, curled up on himself and breathing quietly as he slept as well. He kept to himself as he dreamt, his face smooth and calm while he rested.

Tavros couldn't sleep.

He thought that he had escaped the hardest part of the competition already. The speech and interview portion of it was what had given Tavros the most anxiety when he thought about it. But when Karkat decided that they were going to play a review game after dinner had ended, and Tavros lost miserably to his teammates, it made him rethink his priorities.

Speech and interview was important, sure, but that was only two sections of a decathlon. There were eight other categories that made up the competition. He couldn't remember much about his essay, just that he had trouble with it because geology sucked, but Tavros had anticipated that and he didn't let it bother him too much; it wasn't like he really spent too much time worrying about his essay anyway. But the Super Quiz portion, Science and therefore geology by default, was the most important part of the competition.

And Tavros was nervous; nobody was going to be happy with him if he didn't do everything in his power to help them get to State, and as of now he was completely letting everyone down. He'd barely skimmed over Economics and Math, and though he knew as much as anyone on the short selections from Language and Literature, he still couldn't get past the first couple of chapters in The Grapes of Wrath. History wasn't any better, and Art and Music was as hopeless as Tavros's Math. Science was the only thing he studied hard with any consistency outside of review sessions and cramming. In fact, even with all the time he spent going over Science, he still couldn't manage to retain the simplest, most boring facts about the subject.

Tavros felt very small in Gamzee's arms, but it had nothing to do with his size compared to the Honors student's.

It saddened him to think of the friends he was letting down just by being on a team; if it had just been him, Tavros probably wouldn't feel as much pressure, but there were eight other people on his team depending on him. Two of them were currently around him, sleeping peacefully and untouched by the turmoil in Tavros's stomach. He shifted a bit in Gamzee's arms, wondering about how badly his incompetence would hit them. Sollux and Eridan were so wrapped up in each other that Tavros felt like he was barely a passing thought in their minds. Equius and he had gotten a little closer during the day, but Tavros didn't doubt that the younger Zahhak would expect anything but his failure. Dave and John would probably be disappointed, though it was more likely that Dave wouldn't give a shit and John wouldn't be able to hide the sad look in his eyes if they didn't make it to State because of him. Vriska would tear into him as much as she could, like she was prone to doing when she didn't get her way.

But Gamzee and Karkat were probably the people he was closest to on the team, and it was letting them down that hit Tavros the hardest. Gamzee would probably not even notice in a normal way, but he was always able to tell when something was up. Especially if it concerned Tavros in any way. And Karkat- - -

"Hey." The voice was rough from sleep and quiet, too quiet to be Gamzee's; it also came from Tavros's left, prompting the Varsity to turn his head in the proper direction to see the speaker. In the dark, lit up only by the moon, Karkat's eyes seemed to glow a bright crimson. He hadn't moved from his curled up position, but as Tavros watched and stared back quietly, Vantas's eyes seemed to grow more alert as he woke up. "The fuck's a matter with you?"

"I'm sorry?" Tavros squeaked in shock, though he was mindful to keep quiet. It didn't matter; Gamzee shifted a bit and pressed himself closer behind him, his arm tightening on Tavros. They waited in silence as Makara grumbled a bit in his sleep, rubbing his face against the back of the Nitram's head. Shivers ran up and down Tavros's arms and spine at the contact of Gamzee's lips against his hair and head, and the sensation made him close his eyes involtunarily.

When Gamzee settled again and stopped moving, the Varsity opened his eyes to meet Karkat's. The other boy hadn't closed his own eyes again, instead watching the interaction thoughtfully. His intense scrutiny made Tavros blush darkly; he was thankful for the lack of light, because for the first time it meant that no one else would see how red he could turn.

"C'mon." Karkat said quietly. His red eyes vanished as he turned and Tavros watched as Karkat stood up, silhouetted in the moonlight. After a long moment, in which he watched Vantas turn and stride quietly to the door, Tavros made a noise of distress; Gamzee grip was iron-tight and unyielding, which meant he was stuck. Crimson eyes made themselves known as Karkat spun around, zeroing in on the lump that was his best friend and teammate. With an annoyed huff, he stepped just as quietly back to where Tavros was laying, trapped.

Without hesitation, Vantas grabbed Gamzee's arm and moved it gently, lifting it enough for Tavros to squirm away from the passed out Honors student. Without even batting an eye, Karkat leaned over and grabbed his vacated pillow, placing his friend's arm over it. Instantly, Gamzee snuggled into the pillow, mumbling something about his mirthful messiahs.

"C'mon." Karkat repeated, grabbing Tavros's arm in a gentle grip and leading him effortlessly around the obstacles that found themselves spread out over the room. When they got to the door, Karkat pulled it open as quietly as possible, indicating to Tavros that he should follow his team leader downstairs.

Soon they were in the dining room. Karkat pushed Tavros down in the chair closest to the head of the table, continuing without breaking stride to the kitchen. Uncertain of what to do, Tavros squirmed in the cold wood seat. The silence and darkness made the house seem bigger than it was, making the soft noises Karkat was making in the kitchen comforting. Kurloz, Meulin and Nepeta had left after dinner, but Tavros was certain that someone had been coming none too quietly up the stairs sometime after Karkat fell asleep. It made him nervous, even though it was probably Gamzee's dad, and instead of getting up to find out who it was, Tavros had squirmed backwards away from the door until Gamzee's arm pinned him. It had calmed him down immediately, but it didn't bring Tavros any of the peace it seemed to bring his much taller friend; several seconds after that, Tavros began worrying about the competition.

Ten minutes later, Karkat placed a steaming black mug in front of him; Tavros jumped a bit, so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that Karkat had reappeared.

"So what the hell's your problem?" The Vantas snapped, bringing a matching black mug to his lips as he took the seat across from his teammate. Tavros watched as Vantas wrapped his hands around the mug, blowing on the heat emanating from the mug. After a moment of staring blankly at Karkat's unimpressed face, Tavros managed to squeak out something resembling an answer.

"What?" Karkat sighed heavily and placed his mug gently on the table. Steepling his fingers, he fixed a stern glare on the other boy.

"You were thinking." He clarified. "Loudly. What's your deal?"

"I'm worried about tomorrow." Tavros admitted quietly. Karkat's face didn't move when he spoke, but the team leader made an impatient motion with his hand in the area of the mug; Tavros picked it up and pressed his mouth against the ceramic, letting the heat warm his face.

"Why?" Tavros looked surprised at the question, lifting his head a bit. Karkat's nose twitched, and Tavros immediately returned the mug to his lips. When Karkat continued to stare, he took a tentative sip.

Chocolate, peppermint, and whipped cream burst into his mouth, and Tavros let out a muffled noise of shock. He jerked his hand, forcing more of the concoction into his mouth and burning his throat in the process. Slamming the mug down, Tavros coughed and gasped while Karkat watched impassively with a raised eyebrow.

"That's really good." He gasped out at Karkat, eyes watering from the pain. A smile creeped onto Vantas's face, one that he tried to hide by bringing the mug up to hide his mouth. Tavros saw it through his watering eyes, though he was careful not to bring it up and ruin the moment.

"It's Porrim's recipe." He replied over the lip of the black mug. Tipping the hot chocolate down his own throat carefully, Karkat closed his eyes momentarily in contentment. "She likes to make this for us whenever we aren't feelimg that great or can't sleep. It's supposedly a fucking giant secret or some shit, but it's not really much of anything aside from hot chocolate with a fucking peppermint mixed in. Not exactly rocket science." He leaned forward and studied Tavros critically. "Now why the fuck can't you sleep? We've got competition tomorrow. It's one-fuckin-thirty-four in the morning."

"I can't…" Tavros cleared his throat, freeing one hand from the mug and using it to wipe away a few stray tears. Karkat continued watching, taking small careful sips from his own mug.

"Can't what?" Vantas prompted sarcastically when Tavros quieted to gather his thoughts.

"I don't know if I can, do this." Tavros admitted in a rush. He hated how weak it made him sound, but once it was out there everything came falling out. "I know my, my essay was most likely, uh, crap, and don't even get me started on my interview- - -I mentioned the animal shelter- - -"

"Which I said you should mention." Karkat cut in with a nod.

"I mentioned the animal put downs." Tavros shot back, wincing away from his team leader's withering glare.

"Which I fucking said you shouldn't!" Vantas snapped in irritation, slamming the mug down. "God-fucking-dammit, Nitram, I specifically told you not to say that!"

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry!" Tavros cut across Karkat's angry tirade with a pointed glance upwards, reminding the other boy that it was late and everyone that was in the house was asleep, even if there were only two other people. Vantas glowered fiercely at the reminder, but he picked up his mug again and took an angry gulp.

"So, what," he continued angrily in a hiss, "you think because of one stupid fucking mistake, you can't do this anymore?"

"No." Tavros picked up his mug again and took a long drink; now that it had cooled down a little bit, he could taste the chocolate peppermint mixture without burning his tongue. It was rich, and unsurprisingly cooling, and it gave him the boost he needed to keep talking. "If it was just that, I uh, I wouldn't worry. But…" He sighed and stared down at the whipped cream mixing into the warm drink. "I'm not…good at this. I can't remember as much as you or Gamzee and, um. If I can't help get to, to State, then- - -"

"Then we'll try again next year." Tavros couldn't help it; his eyes shot up from the mug to Karkat staring at him with a raised eyebrow. At the sight of his disbelief, Vantas put his mug down and sighed heavily. Frowning, he rubbed his temple briefly before steepling his fingers together. "Look, Nitram, your place with us is not fucking dependent on what you do for us."

"But Vriska- - -"

"No one gives a crap about Serket and her damn vendetta." Karkat brushed the mention of their Scholastic teammate aside with a wave of his hand. "Drink that, this shit's delicious and I'll be beyond pissed if you waste it." He waited until Tavros took another long drink before continuing. "Now, despite what Serket seems to think, you being on our team is not entirely dependent on you performing some stupid ass miracle out of your ass."

There was an extremely muffled noise from upstairs, but Karkat regrabbed Tavros's wandering attention by leaning over the table and taking a hold of Nitram's chin in his hand. With a gentle but firm prompting, Vantas made Tavros face him. He didn't speak again until Tavros's chocolate brown eyes met the overly-crimson of Karkat's. Their faces were much closer than Nitram anticipated; a deep flush instantly covered his face, making the moment much more intimate even though Vantas's gaze remained as firm and unyielding as Gamzee's hold had been.

"This whole damn team being friends with you," he said with no room for arguing, "is not dependent on you getting us to fucking State all on your fucking own, asshat. There are nine people on this damn team for a fucking reason."

"Hey, motherfuckers." Gamzee's voice was deep and sleep-cracked; Karkat and Tavros pulled away from each other at the same time and turned as one, both taking in the Makara slouching in the doorway. His hair was wilder and messier than normal, mussed by sleep, and his eyes were heavy with the same thing. Still, despite the look and his clear semi-awareness, Gamzee was still looking suspiciously between his two best friends, seeming to focus more on the deep flush on Tavros's face. "What's up?"

"God damn it." Karkat snarled. With an irritated sigh and a mumbled complaint- - -something that sounded very similar to 'we have fucking competition tomorrow, dumbasses'- - -he threw Tavros's face to the side and stormed as quietly as he could away from the table. Gamzee drifted over while Tavros took another shaky sip of hot chocolate, though whatever he would have said was interrupted by Karkat appearing again.

"Thanks, motherfucker." Gamzee murmured absently, accepting the mug Vantas was shoving in his hand. Tavros had a moment to appreciate the steam rising from it before Makara tossed his head back and drained the mug in three large gulps.

"Show-off." Karkat muttered from behind his mug, while Tavros squeaked in shock. Gamzee sent his much smaller teammate a warm, sleepy smile, indicating he should finish his own hot chocolate.

"Gotta keep my main motherfuckers all up and pumped for tomorrow." He explained while Tavros took several gulps of the concoction. "Which means getting lots of snoozing on right now."

"Let him finish the damn cup first." Karkat ordered firmly as the Honors student tried to pull the other Varsity out of his seat; when he reluctantly dropped his friend's arm, Vantas fixed his gaze firmly on Tavros. "But the dumbass is right; we need as much sleep as we can get. So hurry the fuck up already."

Tavros rushed to obey; his hot chocolate had turned lukewarm and it was easier to simply down it the way Gamzee had, especially since there wasn't much of it left. While Karkat finished at a much slower pace, his eyes were critically locked onto Tavros as if he could pick up any more doubts that creeped into the other boy's head. He grabbed the three mugs in his hands, saying something to Gamzee that sounded muffled to Tavros.

He let Gamzee manhandle him up both sets of stairs, Karkat close behind. It wasn't until he was being laid down on his sleeping bag that Tavros felt alert enough to say something. He meant to ask about his current drowsy state, but all that came out was a garbled noise that both Gamzee and Karkat shooshed. Sleepy irritation at being calmed like a child crawled into his chest, but Tavros felt his eyes drift shut before he could voice his protest.

Only to jump up when Karkat blared an air horn in the room. He let out a demented chuckle when Gamzee's cursing started up, giving Tavros a truly evil grin when the Nitram glared sleepily at him from the floor. The team leader was already wide awake and dressed, though he had clothes draped over his other arm. Carelessly dropping the air horn on the floor, Karkat threw the clothes over Tavros's head; they landed on Gamzee, who shouted something that sounded like 'fuck you man'.

"It's show time, losers." He announced. "Get your asses up and ready to go- - -Kurloz is going to be here soon."

"Fuck." Gamzee groaned as he pushed himself up, pulling the clothes off of his head as he did so. Tavros missed the warmth that had been radiating from the taller Honors student instantly, though he hid it by jumping up and rushing to his bag; digging through it quickly, the Varsity discarded his shirt and pulled another one on, one less formal than the one he wore for his Interview portion. He also grabbed his pants and his gel, getting to the bathroom at the same time as Gamzee did. They watched each other slightly warily for a brief second before silently agreeing to share the room.

Makara grabbed his toothbrush and began brushing his teeth while pulling his hair brush through the wild mop that was his hair. Tavros scooted to the side a bit to avoid getting hit by his friend's bony elbow, tugging on his pants and running his fingers through the slight tangles in his own hair. Without buttong his pants just yet, he focused on working the gel into his hair to get his usual mowhawk to stay.

He and Gamzee switched spots effortlessly, with help from Karkat via shouting. Gamzee struggled into his own clothes, while Tavros brushed his teeth and washed his face.

"Enough primping." Karkat threw the door open just as Gamzee managed to fasten his jeans and Tavros was wiping the soap off of his face. Vantas grabbed a hold of both of them and dragged them out into the spacious attic; he paused long enough for them to grab their phones and anything else they would need for the competition before pulling them down the stairs to the main hallway, where Nepeta was pressed against the wall.

"You ruined my surprise, Karkitty!" She admonished playfully, handing Gamzee several pills and a tall glass of water; Karkat kept them movong as Makara swallowed them dry, spilling water all over the floor in the process. Karkat snarled, but Nepeta ignored him in favor of latching onto Tavros. "Morning! Ready for the tests?"

"Probably more than last night." He answered truthfully. Karkat didn't slow ahead of them, but there was a straightening of his back and shoulders that made him seem a bit proud of himself. Nepeta seemed to notice it; she looked curiously between the two, though she didn't comment on it until they'd gotten into the car; Kurloz and Moulin were in the front seat, and her mother leaned around the passenger seat to wave happily at them.

Almost instantly, Nepeta drew her into a passionate conversation, which ended up lasting the whole two hours to the college. With nothing better to do, Tavros followed Gamzee and Karkat's example by taking a Science packet and skimming through it yet again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which testing begins

The drive to the college was a lot longer than Tavros thought. He'd fallen asleep on the drive, leaning his head on Gamzee's shoulder as a result of his late night bonding with Karkat. When he woke up, it was to Nepeta's eager shoutings mixed with Karkat's frantic yells. Kurloz was driving with one hand, his teeth bared and breaking the stitch make up on his mouth. Meulin had one arm pressed against the passenger window, the other swatting at her daughter while Nepeta and Karkat fought. The youngest Leijon was pointedly ignoring her mother's free hand as she pointed out an exit on the freeway.

"No, fuck off, this one's right by the damn school!" Karkat snapped loudly by Kurloz's ear. The older Makara responded by wincing and jerking the wheel to the left, though he straightened out quickly. He leveled a glare at Karkat through the rear view mirror, freeing a hand to shove the boy irritably. Karkat yielded to his touch, but only for a moment; he wedged himself in between Kurloz and Nepeta again, shoving another map into view. "See, Kurloz can park here and then we go in here- - -"

"But efurrybody is going to go that way!" Nepeta protested. "If we go this way, then we can avoid that traffic and- - -"

"Nobody asked your opinion, Nepeta!" Karkat snapped. She hissed back, and Meulin finally seemed to have enough. She shoved both her daughter and Karkat back into their seats, pointing to the upcoming exit that Nepeta pointed out. Kurloz obediently followed her directions, exiting the freeway and signaling to turn left. Karkat fumed in the back seat, reaching over and roughly shaking Gamzee awake. The younger Makara glowered at his friend. "Fuck off, asshat, we're almost there."

Grumbling, Gamzee stretched as much as he could before casually popping a few pills into his mouth. As his gaze cleared as much as it was going to, the youngest Makara rubbed Karkat's head with a dopey grin.

"What's got my main motherfucker all up and in his fucking zone, bro?" He drawled lazily. Karkat shoved him away, and Gamzee fell until the back of his head collided with Tavros's shoulder. He beamed widely at his Varsity teammate, reaching back and grasping Tavros's face firmly in his grip while Kurloz turned left. His mind switched topics as quickly as his sight switched focus, and Gamzee opened his mouth and blurted "My Tavbro never up and answered a motherfucker."

"I, uh…" Tavros frowned, trying to remember if Gamzee asked him something before he inadvertently fell asleep, but he couldn't bring anything to mind. To make up for it, he smiled sheepishly at his best friend and shrugged carelessly. "Oops." He said instead. "I can't, uh, think of a, single thing you'd, um, want to ask me, Gamz." Running his fingers slowly through Gamzee's hair- - -it was dark and thick and soft, and Gamzee seemed to really like the sensation of fingers against his scalp; it tended to calm him, so he didn't mind when Tavros did it- - -Nitram tilted his head to the side. "Why don't you, ah, try now?"

"Nah, bro." Gamzee closed his eyes and let a strange smile cross his face; it was sad and tired but hopeful. "Too much shit in a thinkpan before our knowledge leak is fucked up. Best get our motherfucking focus on kicking ass." His grin turned vicious. "After all, motherfucking State is right at our motherfucking fingertips."

"Which is why we need to get to the damn college!" Karkat snapped irritably. "Christ, even fuckin Ampora is there already, can we move any tucking slower?" Kurloz stopped at a red light; at the same time, he and Meulin turned and leveled a dark glare at the Vantas. Tavros shrank in his seat, even though neither one of them was looking at him. It was eerie how dark their faces were, silent and glowering before- - -as if they were one being instead of two- - -they turned back to face the road. Tavros felt small tremors run down his back, but Gamzee and Nepeta seemed completely unfazed; as if such an occurance happened often, they were talking to each other with spirited hand motions and half-started audible sentences. Cringing slightly and ignoring Nepeta's knowing look, he shrunk into the back of Gamzee's head in the hopes that the two adults wouldn't turn on him next.

Karkat was suspiciously quiet until Kurloz parked the car.

He was also the first one out, dragging a dark grey bag behind him out of the car. Nepeta followed him, though Tavros and Gamzee went out on his side. They both rounded the corner of the car, waiting for Kurloz and Meulin to follow suit so they could head to the college which sat across the street.

"I keep forgetting how creepy it is when your parents fucking do that." Karkat muttered venomously at Nepeta. She giggled, beaming brighter when he glowered at her. "Seriously, how the fuck do they even do that? They've done it for-fucking-ever."

"My papa uses mind control on my mama." She said as seriously as she could while Meulin climbed out of the car. The older Leijon frowned playfully, admonishing her daughter as Kurloz rounded the car as well. He tapped Meulin's shoulder, gaining her attention while he motioned to the college. Teams were gathering by the front door to go in, and Nepeta nodded as she translated, "Papa says we should go in now."

"Right." Tavros felt his nerves flare up again; the college was daunting and towering, and there were the same amount of teams and coaches as there was yesterday. They created a dull roar of sound, over lapping conversations, and the sound was louder the closer they got to crossing the street.

Almost as instantly as they appeared, the Varsity's nerves vanished with the appearance of warmth in his hand. Blinking owlishly up, Tavros met Gamzee's warm high with a stunned look.

"Calm the motherfuck down." He ordered, reaching over with his other hand and fingering the name tags Tavros had barely remembered to grab on his way out; the number indicated which seat he was going to be at, just like it had for the essay the day before.

"There they are." Karkat sounded more relieved than he wanted to; flushing scarlet, he stomped off towards a table closest to the double doors, right in front of a pillar.

Tavros shifted uncomfortably, dodging around people as he tried to keep Karkat in sight; there were even more people than there were yesterday. The majority of them were students, teams that looked vaguely familiar to Nitram as they passed him by. There were coaches as well, but the rest of the people gathered were parents and others for moral support, it seemed. He was doing a fairly good job at avoiding them until he bumped into a girl with floofy hair and a blue-and-green skirt.

"Tavros!" Feferi beamed at him with warmth, hugging the Varsity tightly to her. "Oh, my glub, it's been ages!"

"Uh, hi, Feferi." Tavros stammered as she released him. She giggled at him before embracing Gamzee as well, smiling toothily at both boys.

"I'm so EXCITED!" She squealed, jumping twice before grabbing a hold of both their hands. Tavros could barely hear her voice as she led them to the team table, but Feferi made her voice audible enough for them both to hear her. "This is the only part of the competition that we can sea- - -well, not the testing, reely, but the Super Quiz Reelay. But that isn't til later, so I'm helping Eridan and Sollux study whale we wait to take their tests!" She smiled over her shoulder as they sat down. "For shore, though, me and Nepeta are going to be getting you guys stuff you need to keep your FOCUS!" She sang out and jumped, seating herself beside Eridan and slamming a water bottle down.

The rest of the team had claimed a table and were already sitting around it. Vriska was pouring over another packet; Dave had John in his lap, the two talking in hushed whispers while sharing headphones; Eridan, Sollux, and Feferi were eating, Ampora quizzing Captor between bites; Equius was mopping his forehead with a towel, a strained expression on his face that melted when he caught sight of Nepeta. Said Leijon beamed gleefully at him, launching herself in his direction and stopping short of touching him.

While the two of them talked animatedly, Tavros took an empty chair next to Sollux. His Varsity teammate flashed him a tired smirk, but it faded almost as soon as it crossed his face. He swallowed heavily, staring back down at his half-eaten food. Tavros ignored the tug on his leg that indicated Gamzee had just sat down on the floor to meet Eridan's gaze curiously, though the Honors student avoided him in order to frown at Sollux before repeating his question. Captor shrugged out an answer finally, the wrong one considering how Eridan's brow lowered a bit more, and Tavros shot Sollux another look.

Sollux seemed different from the way he was yesterday; he was absent-minded and kept getting a far away look in his eyes. There was a dejected slump to his shoulders, as if he already resigned himself to failure and didn't care. Eridan was shooting him worried looks, ones that went unnoticed by Feferi only because the girl was gushing about the college and trying to stay seated in the room they were in.

Unfortunately, just as it occurred to Tavros that there was something really wrong with his teammate, the other teams around them started leaving the room.

"What's going on?" He asked with wide eyes as Vriska stood and Equius pressed his fingers against Nepeta's in the shape of a diamond.

"Time to throw down our sick beats and prove we're the shit." Dave told him seriously. Still, his arms tightened around John like he didn't want to let him go. Karkat grabbed Egbert's arm and tried to pull him but Dave wouldn't release him until John let out a slight noise of pain. Tavros leaned forward- - -

And was pulled out of his chair by Gamzee, who grinned with his teeth.

"It's motherfucking on." He dragged Tavros out after him, the two of them getting swallowed up by the mass of students.

"Shouldn't we, uh, wait for everyone else?" Tavros asked, straining to find the rest of his team in the flock around him. Gamzee's grip tightened on his hand, and Tavros mimicked the action so he wouldn't get lost. They followed them up two flights of stairs, bringing them to the second floor; Tavros peered over the edge, gulping as he saw Feferi waving up as she took a seat by a bored looking Kurloz.

"Nah, bro." Gamzee was leaning down as they came to a stop; his voice was deep and clear in his ear, calm. "They got three rooms, cool? A motherfucking room for each motherfucking level. This year, we get first place room. All the motherfuckers in the first place room go here. Our motherfuckers will be here shortly."

A hand entangled itself in Tavros's mohawk, yanking his head back. He let out a startled whimper, Gamzee's warm breath replaced by cool air.

"If it ain't our Alternian boys." Shark teeth were all Tavros could see, and he let out a giant squeak of shock until he realized it was just Meenah glaring down at him. She looked a bit different from the last time he saw her, and it took him a moment to take her in to realize why.

Her hair was in long braids, trailing down her back and stopping mid-thigh. There were fuschia ribbons braided in, matching her tinted glasses and lipstick. But that was all the color she had. There was a black sweater hugging her form, with a golden "PP" emblem stitched into the lower right side. She had a black skirt on that stopped just above her knees, and black flats on her feet.

"Like whatcha sea, Varsity?" Meenah bit at him.

"Let a brother go, sis." Gamzee rumbled. Meenah bared her teeth at him in response, but the Makara glowered at her without blinking. His lip curled threateningly, and Meenah stepped back, releasing his hair.

"Whatevah." She flicked a braid over her shoulder and wrapped the end around her finger. "Sea ya little briners at the Reelay." With a huff, she pushed past an oncoming Karkat; he shouted something unintelligible at her as he dragged the rest of the team behind him. When they reached Tavros, Gamzee behind him and the rest of the team before him, they stared at each other for a moment.

"Right, fuckasses." Karkat said finally. "IDs out; once we're fucking seated, this is fucking it."

They all took a deep breath; Dave and John were gripping each other's hand so tightly both of their knuckles were white. Equius was taking deep breaths, his fingers twisting around each other in midair. Vriska was pulling her hair back, an intense 'going for the gold' look on her face that promised to not put up with any bullshit. Eridan and Sollux were hanging back, staring ahead at the door; Ampora looked vaguely pissed off, but Captor still had the defeated look on his face. Karkat looked determined, twirling his pencil in his hand and pointing them forward as if he were a general ordering his army to attack.

"Onward, assholes." He said seriously. Together, they shuffled forward brandishing the IDs they got the day before. Once in the room, they were led to their seats quietly. At Tavros's table, there was someone seated already.

Tavros took his seat quietly, staring ahead at the back of Sollux's head. He could hear Karkat behind him; the rest of the Alternia team sat behind them, Scholastic following Varsity and Honors behind them all in alphabetical order. They were on the far right of the room, right next to a window that was showing just a little ray of sunshine. A giant of a teen sat next to Tavros, a kid from a team who called themselves the Midnight Crew. He was glowering fiercely at Tavros, making him shrink in his seat and glance behind him at Karkat for help. Vantas ignored him, though, snarling something at the girl sitting next to him. Behind him, Vriska was already scribbling her name onto one of the three scantrons they got.

Tavros sighed as Art tests began being handed out, and resigned himself to focus on the tests before him. He scooted back to hand the other packets to Karkat. Moving back to the table, Tavros made sure to stay as far away from his tablemate as possible and waited to start the first test.

He had a feeling that it was going to be a long day.

When the Art test started, Tavros felt his head begin hurting already. He stared blankly at the questions in front of him before flipping the test over, making a split second decision to start at the end of the test and work his way forward. The last three questions weren't any easier than the first seven, and so with a quiet groan Tavros took a guess and bubbled random letters as his answer.

Time passed slowly; he got through the Art test quickly, which meant without a doubt he failed it miserably, and spent the remaining twenty minutes doodling on the back of his ID card. Then came the Economics test, and after that was the Language and Literature test.

Tavros tried to draw out the Economics test as long as he could, brow furrowed as he handled questions like 'The major reason why Germany experienced hyperinflation in the 1920s was…', 'The unemployment rate is calculated as…', and 'All of the following were components of the "New Deal" EXCEPT…' by staring at them as if that would bring the answer to the front of his mind so that he could put the correct answer on his scantron. When the answer didn't magically pop into his head like he wanted it to, Tavros would glance back furtively at Karkat behind him before bubbling in the first letter that came to mind. After he finished the test, he put his head down and closed his eyes; his hands clenched into fists to keep them from trembling too noticeably.

The Language and Literature test was much harder than Tavros expected; there were ten questions on a selected reading, and another fifteen on the short selections from the resource material. But 75 of the questions were on the book, and Tavros couldn't remember what he did read of The Grapes of Wrath. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Tavros raced through the test, bubbling in random answers that he wasn't entirely sure of; still, it was better to guess and be wrong rather than just leave the whole scantron blank. After all, he had about a 25% chance of getting at least one question right.

Then he sat back miserably and stared out the window, waiting for the time to run out so that he could get out and stretch his legs.

Once the tests were collected and they were dismissed, Tavros bolted without waiting for his teammates. Maneuvering around the clusters of desks and students, he made a beeline to the two doors that they went through three hours earlier. He was thirsty and really needed to pee, and he didn't want to be deterred by anyone.

Unfortunately, right as he went down the stairs and made it to the table with the Alternian team's stuff on it, Tavros realized that he didn't know where the bathroom was.

Groaning in frustration as realization crashed in, Tavros pulled a water bottle towards himself and drained half of it in one long swallow. Bracing himself, he stood and moved against the oncoming crowd to try and find the bathroom.

After being turned around several times and ignored even more, he decided to give in and ask one of his teammates for directions. A sudden burst of noise made Tavros bite back a squeak and duck back behind the wall. He'd almost made it back, he thought, because he could hear the general sounds of too many people in one room; Tavros was overjoyed, ready to find someone to help him find the bathrooms, when he rounded the corner and stopped short. In the hallway before him was a barrier between him and the room where all the teams were gathered: Sollux and an unfamiliar girl.

"It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" She started out. Tavros winced a bit sympathetically; her voice was scratchy and hoarse, as if she either didn't use it much or had managed to get sick before the competition started. Whatever the reason was, she was far too pretty to have such a voice.

"Three years, at least." Sollux shot back. His voice was just as dead as hers was, though emotion wavered in his voice. Tavros peered around the corner again.

She was fairly pretty, he decided. She had dark hair that rolled down her back in gentle waves, framing a slightly rounded and sun kissed face. A small bun was wound tightly on the top of her head, seemingly held in place with dark red chopsticks. Her eyes were dark and narrowed only on Sollux, as if nothing else existed around the two of them. She wore a black long sleeve shirt that hugged her slightly thin torso, a golden crescent moon stitched on the front. A yellow skirt covered her legs to her ankles, lined with a rusty looking thread. Tied around her waist was a sweater, one that was most likely the same as Meenah's.

"At least." She agreed with a slight twitch of her head; a nod, Tavros guessed. "You look well."

"So do you, for someone who's supposed to be dead." So this was Aradia, Tavros assumed with another wince. It was a harsh statement from Sollux, a real low blow, but Aradia seemed to take it in stride; she didn't so much as changer her facial expression, though she did shrug one shoulder.

"Ah, such is life, I suppose." She said monotonously. A flicker of a smile crossed her face, as if she wasn't sure what she should do in the situation she found herself in. "I had no idea you were on the Academic Decathlon team. What a pleasant surprise, running into you here."

"Cut the crap, AA." Sollux drew back a step as he spoke, his voice breaking on the two letters. "What's going on? What happened to you?"

"A lot of things." Aradia answered honestly. "There was a lot going on in my life a few years ago, Sollux, stuff I didn't think you could help me with and things that I couldn't handle alone. I needed help, and I barely managed to get it in time."

"You didn't think me, at least- - -" Sollux trailed off, hurt coloring his words as he tried to keep quiet. Tavros felt uncomfortable, huddled where he was to hide from Sollux and Aradia, and he hoped the silence growing meant that the two had finally gone.

"I'm sorry, SX." Aradia's deathly calm voice echoed slightly. While Sollux attempted to keep quiet, Aradia had made no such effort. Her voice was so deadpan and blank though, that the Varsity wondered if she had any feelings at all. Tavros's chest ached for her, wondering what she would have been like before she attempted suicide.

He wondered what had brought her to such a breaking point.

"Don't call me that." Sollux's voice was vicious in his rejection. His words wavered though, and Tavros winced in sympathy. Sollux, ever since they found out they were up against Aradia, had been torn between a vicious rage and a dark hurt that never really went away. Captor had told Tavros that they'd been really close, and for a while Sollux even thought he loved her. She'd attempted suicide and vanished soon after, without so much as a word to him; for almost two years, Sollux had been beside himself with worry about her wellbeing.

"You seemed so fond of it before." Aradia said questioningly; a curious tone tinted her voice just a bit. Tavros imagined her tilting her head the slightest bit to the side as she spoke. "What happened, I wonder, that would make you so against two letters?" Silence reigned, and Tavros understood in a jolt.

Eridan Ampora.

Eridan had crawled under Sollux's skin from the moment he'd joined AcaDec fully; Sollux told Tavros that it was Feferi who actually convinced him to join. She'd made it sound fun and exciting, whereas Eridan almost had him running in the opposite direction, screaming bloody murder.

And then once Sollux started coming to class and showed no signs of giving up, the Honors student hounded him more relentlessly than Karkat. No matter where Captor went, Ampora was never far behind, Feferi in tow. They'd stuck together and studied together and fought before making up and going at it again. And without Feferi around to distract them recently, they'd gone at each other violently with results that often gave them both kiss-bruised lips and black eyes. It was almost a destructive cycle, but one that Sollux clearly needed; he'd gotten over Aradia and managed to focus on something other than what happened to her.

And Eridan, mean sassy bossy insulting Eridan Ampora, had managed to steal Sollux's attentions away. Nobody ever called him the way Aradia did; he was either Sollux, Sol, or Captor. Or fuckass, in Karkat's terms of endearment.

Tavros wondered if it was because the two letters were too hard to hear in someone else's voice, or if it was because his teammate had outgrown the nickname.

"It's none of your business." Sollux snapped uncomfortably. Tavros debated the merits of interrupting their conversation to save Sollux; this conversation was obviously long in coming, but during competition was not the time to be having this emotional sort of break down. "I want to know why. Why didn't you call me? Why didn't you try?" There was another silence. When Sollux spoke again, his voice was thick, cracking on every other word. "Was I not important enough to know?"

"That's not it, Sollux."

"Then what was it?" Sollux exploded at Aradia. She blinked once, but Sollux seemed to be on a roll. He was pacing from side to side, Tavros could hear his shoes squeak on the linoleum of the floor. He moved to go out to stop them, but Sollux's voice was so full of helpless rage that Tavros flattened himself to the wall to wait it out. "What the hell was it? Because nobody ever heard from you again! We all assumed you really died!"

"Sollux- - -"

"Two years!" Sollux roared at her. Tavros squeaked, frightened by Captor's unusual anger, and even Aradia stepped back with wide eyes. Her lip trembled and he saw her stoic demeanor as what it was: a cover, a shield to keep her emotions in check. "Two fucking years of my life, I cried and mourned and tried to get over you. Two fucking years, Aradia! And this whole fucking time, each and every single god damned day for the past three years," Sollux visibly deflated, his head cradled in his hands. Aradia bit her lip, her hands reaching out slowly to touch Sollux, but he drew away from her before she could. "This whole time, you haven't been more than a two hour drive away."

"I'm sorry, Sollux." Aradia repeated. Her voice shook, though, and it seemed to be the breaking point for her; her legs wobbled a bit and she sank to her knees, not even caring about the fact that they were outside in the hallway in plain view or that people were starting to gather thanks to Sollux's outburst. She buried her face in her own hands, looking a bit pathetic even in her beauty. "I'm so sorry, Sollux, I really am."

Sollux stared down at her impassively until Eridan appeared. Without sparing a glance at the silently crying Prospitian Varsity, Ampora gently touched Sollux's shoulder. His hand trailed comfortingly down the Alternian Varsity's arm, not stopping until his hand entwined with Captor's. Tugging until Sollux moved with him, Eridan passed Kankri as he walked into the room.

Tavros crept out slowly, following his team mates as quickly as he could. Kankri could handle Aradia, she was on his team, and Tavros needed to find the bathroom before the tests started again. He was halfway through the hall, just about to walk past them, when a hand shot out and grabbed a hold of his arm. Tavros squeaked in shock, turning sharply to meet with Kankri's pleading gaze.

"My apologies, I did not intend to startle you." Kankri said quickly, barely stopping to take a breath as he plowed ahead. "I also did not mean to break whatever physical boundaries you have, and I ask your forgiveness in such a matter, as I'm not exactly sure what triggers you may have and do not have the time to ask you at the moment, but please don't leave me here with her." Tavros's eyes darted to Aradia, debating quickly, and Kankri's grip tightened pleadingly. "I don't quite know how to handle her, and Porrim isn't here. Nobody else is going to care, aside from Jade really, but she's currently quite preoccupied in fighting with my little brother. You seem like you'd be much better equipped than I to be handling a crying girl, what with your predisposition to be under a constant stream of bullying and stress."

Tavros debated on feeling insulted, though he wasn't quite sure why, but Kankri's pleading expression won him over; he sat down on the floor next to Aradia, reaching out and touching her shoulder gently. Aradia jerked away from him, but looked up hopefully. Tavros felt horrible as the hope faded from her eyes when she realized it wasn't Sollux.

"Are…" He trailed off before the question could continue to form, knowing that the answer was no even before she said it and feeling stupid for even thinking of the question. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Tavros tried again. "I'm sorry, about Sollux, I mean."

"It's my own fault, really." She sniffed. Tears were still leaking from her eyes, but she seemed to be pulling herself together slowly; Kankri, who had pulled his hands back and was twisting his fingers through his crimson sleeves, pursed his lips together. He glanced back at the room, uncomfortable with Aradia even as her crying stopped.

"He's not usually like that." Tavros mused quietly, following Kankri's line of sight for a completely different reason.

"He can be like that every once in a while." Aradia admitted. "When he's overly taxed, like now. I don't know what I expected, to be honest, especially because of what I've done. I do think I've gotten off easily, to be honest."

"Easy?" Tavros asked, but Aradia had finally dried her tears and was standing again.

"Thank you, Kankri." She said softly, catching his attention quickly; the elder Vantas twisted his head around to look at her, standing up as well. Megido moved forward, but halted just as quickly as she started. "I know how hard it is for you to be out here when you could be studying. Can I give you a hug?"

"Your thanks is both unnecessary and enough." Kankri said stiffly, taking a precautious step back as if Aradia was going to jump him and hug him anyway. "I have no requirement of further gratitude, especially something as repulsive as a hug. If you're feeling better, perhaps you could make yourself look at the very least decent enough for the public so as to not tarnish the name of Prospit any further. People are looking at our school to lead the way to State competition, and because of your breakdown with the Alternia Varsity, they are already doubting our ability to do so. You have a lot to work on at the moment, Miss Megido, on top of the already taxing amount of work we have to continue to accomplish with your help."

"You're an asshole, Kankri," She shot back tiredly; still, there was an undercurrent of amusement in her voice, and she chuckled a bit at Kankri's appalled face and his hissed warning of 'language, Miss Megido!' Aradia turned to Tavros and gave him a sheepish smile. "You're…a teammate of Sollux's?"

"I am." Aradia jerked her head away from the main room, indicating that Tavros should follow her. Kankri sniffed disdainfully and strode into the room quickly.

"Come with me to the bathroom?" Tavros's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Blood rushed to face, and a second later, Aradia's face was just as scarlet. She shook her head almost wildly, waving her hands around to dispel whatever thoughts were half forming in his mind. "Not what I meant, it's just…" A darker flush covered her face, trailing down her neck and the top of her ears as she rolled up her sleeves. "I can't go by myself, I'm not allowed…"

Tavros's breath caught in his throat at the reveal of scars similar to Kankri's littering her visible skin.

"It's not pretty, I'll admit." She smiled ruefully as she fixed her sleeve down again. "I wish that they weren't there. Nothing to do about it now, though."

"Well, if you can show me, uh, where the bathroom is, I think, I'll follow you anywhere!" Tavros burst out. Aradia blinked at him, eyes widening a bit at his statement. It made Tavros flush darker, and he hid his face in his hands. "That, uh, that sounded much better. In my head, I mean, I, uh…" he peeked at her bashfully. "Lead the way?"

Aradia laughed.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Testing and Public Humiliation

Aradia and Tavros entered the main room together, laughing over their shared passions for LARP-ing. Tavros had been describing his Peter Pan costume in detail, using his hands to embellish certain aspects of it. He was telling her about the belt and how hard it was to attach it to the shirt so that it wouldn't get lost, when Aradia's face paled a bit. Her hand, which had landed on Tavros's shoulder without either of them realizing it, fell back to her side.

Trailing off in confusion, Tavros turned around and came face-to-chest with his favorite Honors teammate.

"What's all up and going down, motherfuckers?" Gamzee murmured, his hands clamping down on Tavros's shoulders. His chin met the top of Nitram's mohawk gently, so that Tavros couldn't see his expression, but Aradia raised an eyebrow and bit her lip slightly. "You harassing my main motherfucker, bitch?"

"No harassing here." Aradia managed a polite smile. "Just helping out another Decathlete. I'll see you later, Tavros."

"Bye, Aradia." Tavros waved at the girl, then tried to round on Gamzee. The Makara's hands slid from his shoulders though, and Gamzee's lanky arms wrapped around Nitram in a tight hug. His head dropped down as well, forehead colliding with the bone in Tavros's shoulder almost painfully. The smell of fresh pies and slight weed engulfed Tavros; his annoyance with his friend forgotten, the Varsity lifted his shoulder questioningly, most likely smearing facepaint on his shirt. "Gamz? You, you ok there?"

"Motherfucking miraculous, bro." Gamzee's reply was muffled by his shoulder. Tavros tried to question it, but suddenly their fifteen minute break was over and they were pushed aside by other students in their rush to get back to their seats. Gamzee slid off Tavros easily, taking care to not smear any more of his white make-up than he had to, but he took the Varsity's hand in an almost bruising grip as they followed the crowd up the two flights of steps to their row of tables; reluctantly, Makara pulled his hand away, stuffing both of them into his pockets and loping down to his seat in the back of the room.

"Nitram." Karkat hissed from behind him; Tavros missed it because of the cold glower Sollux leveled at him as he passed by and dropped heavily into his seat. The Nitram felt very small, wanting to say something to his fellow Varsity teammate, but the words were stolen from him when something connected with the back of his head.

It was a pencil. Tavros picked it up curiously, looking up at Karkat. The Varsity leader looked furious, crimson eyes practically lit with fury as he held out his hand expectantly.

After a moment's hesitation, he scooted back enough to place the writing utensil in Vantas's hand. Karkat's hand clamped down on his fingers tightly, the Alternian leader finally leaning over his desk in a mimic of the night he'd made Tavros hot chocolate because he couldn't sleep.

"I don't know what your fucking deal is." He growled quietly, "but get your fucking shit together already. Got it?" Tavros's throat went dry, but Karkat didn't seem to be looking for an answer; his fingers tightened on the Nitram's. "And for fuck's sake, stay the fuck away from the goddamned Prospit team! What the hell's the matter with you, Jesus fucking Christ." He snorted in derision before taking his pencil back, nodding once at Tavros's table, indicating he should sit down properly.

And then it was time for more tests: Math, which Tavros knew he had no hope of ever understanding and therefore sped through the tests, guessing at every answer and putting in slight effort when something popped up that he thought he knew. Following that was Music, which was cool because the first ten questions were listening questions. The test giver at the front of the room would play thrity seconds of one of the songs and Tavros rejoiced at the easy ten points they gave him. Unfortunately after that was where the questions got harder, and Tavros flew through the Music test similar to the Math one; guessing the majority of it but trying to think on the answers that had to do with the song selections. He didn't fare much better in Social Science, even though it was a little bit easier than the other two tests he took; history had always been interesting to him, so while half the test had him gaping at the questions, the other half was so easy it was almost laughable. And then Super Quiz.

Since Science was geology and as Tavros had taken to it like a cat to water, he didn't even bother trying to pretend. He skimmed over the questions and while three or four answers jumped out at him, he knew without a doubt that this would be the test that he scored the lowest in. Frustrated by the thought, it made his stomach twist in anticipation of the Relay, where he'd further prove his lack of knowledge in front of everyone.

Before that was lunch time, though, and so he shuffled out with the rest of the kids to his team's table, where Parcel Mistress, Feferi and Nepeta were seated. Kanaya had joined them, lounging gracefully beside the Leijon girl while she sewed. Rose was seated beside her, knitting something long and blue- - -a hood, it looked like.

"John." The blonde girl called from her seat. "Just who I was looking for. Come here so that I may see how this fits."

"Hi, Rose!" John called back, by passing her to simultaneously hug both her and Kanaya. "And Kanaya too, wow! Is Porrim here too?"

"Yes," Kanaya answered distractedly. "She went to find Kankri. Oh, hello, Tavros dear." As he sat beside her, she leaned forward to stretch out a blue cloth across his chest. While Tavros turned several shades of red, she expertly measured him with several push pins and safety pins. "That's good, dear, thank you."

"What are, um, you guys doing here?" Tavros stammered through his dark flush. Gamzee had thrown himself on Kanaya, interrupting her progress. For her part, she simply rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around him in greeting.

"We're here to watch the Relay." Rose answered instead. Her fingers nimbly brushed John's hair away from his glasses, and she was smiling primly at the fit of the hood. "Karkat invited Kanaya, and I came along to watch as well. We're both hoping that our added support will be encouraging in a way. Hold still, John, I need to measure this properly."

"Yo, Lalonde, where's my hood?" Dave butted in obnoxiously, draping himself over John and impeding the blonde girl's access.

"It's in progress, Strider." She shot back with a glower. "I, much like you, can only focus on one project at a time. And speaking of," her eyes rose up, "shouldn't you be spending this time eating and cramming? I was under the assumption that you had more questions to answer in another hour?"

"Fuck you." Dave snapped playfully as Karkat appeared with Vriska and Equius. They all held sandwiches and water bottles, distributing them amongst the people at the table.

After that, they surrounded themselves in papers and papers. Dave and John were going over the different types of rock and sediment, Vriska was re-reading the short section about the Dust Bowl, and Equius, Sollux, and Eridan were reviewing river banks. Karkat was trying to study oil with Tavros while trying to get Gamzee to eat his sandwich.

The atmosphere was light hearted due to the gentle teasing presence of Rose and Kanaya in addition to Feferi and Nepeta, but tensions rose when the lunch period ended and it was time for the Relay. The visiting girls doled out hugs for support, cleaning up the mess left behind by the team's eating.

With Kanaya's warm and supporting smile in his mind, Tavros followed Karkat as he lead the way to the gymnasium. Sollux was behind him, the three of them the quietest of the team since they had to go first. When they got to the gym, Karkat didn't even give Tavros a chance to look around the room; he abandoned the rest of the team, ignoring their calls for good luck in favor of the three Varsities getting to their seats as soon as possible.

Still, once they were seated, Tavros had nothing to do but look around. The gymnasium was enormous, built specifically for the college. And it was still half empty, students milling about. Chairs were line up in groups of three, with a little flag naming the schools in alphabetical order. Tavros slouched down in his seat, staring almost longingly back where the Scholastic and Honors portion of his team were sitting. Sollux was still in front of him, Karkat behind him, and they were in the front of the gymnasium; Alternia High School was the closest to the stage, purely due to alphabetical order.

With a nervous gulp, Tavros turned fully in his chair and watched as the stands in the back filled up. Parents, coaches, friends and family… Something ugly swooped in his stomach.

"Ignore them." Karkat's voice made his eyes slid from the growing audience to his teammate's; Vantas looked determined, with a smirk tilting the corner of his lips. The team leader leaned forward conspiratorily, reaching around Tavros to tap on Sollux's shoulder; Captor's shoulders twitched, but he didn't seem to move other than that. Karkat didn't notice or didn't care. "We've fucking got this. We're all fairly fucking smart; out of the three of us, two of us are bound to get us to fucking State. Just don't fuck up, bulgemunches."

"Please sit down properly and face forward." The proprietor frowned sternly at Karkat's language, but didn't comment as she sat down primly. "I'm here to make sure you don't cheat. Please be sure to write your name only on your Scantron for the moment." She waited until they all obeyed her. She reiterated the rules and then they were interrupted by the announcer, a pretty blonde girl with notecards that she laid against the podium. After a moment, where she said something (Tavros wasn't paying attention to her, more interested in going over random facts that stuck out in his mind), the first question illuminated behind her. The potential answers followed.

"The absolute age of a rock is its," She paused a second before speaking. "A, age in years before present. B, geological sequence in time. C, sequence within a group of fossils. D, age in terms of a geological epoch. E, age in half lives. Seven seconds."

Tavros nearly broke the pencil in his rush to bubble A, intense relief flooding him at the familiar question. Breathless, he sat back just as she called time. The woman beside him collected their scantrons as the announcer told them the answer was A. Tavros twirled his pencil eagerly, heaving a sigh of relief as they got their scantrons back.

"Next question. Which of the following is NOT a major process in geomorphology? A, movement of tectonic plates. B, volcanic activity. C, movement of glaciers. D, flow of rivers. E, formation of reservoirs via damming of rivers. Seven seconds."

Crap. Frowning uncertainly, Tavros only hesitated a second before bubbling in E as his guess. Three seconds later, he was smiling as he twirled his pencil in the air again, snorting back delirious amusement when Karkat's muffled curses reached his ears.

"Next question. What percent of the U.S. was dramatically affected by the Dust Bowl? A, 25%. B, 35%. C, 45%. D, 65%. E, 75%. Seven seconds."

Tavros bubbled D. Then promptly buried his face in his hands in embarrassment when the answer turned out to be E.

"Next question. How will the nature of the remaining soil change after strong wind erosion? It will: A, contain more silt and clay. B, contain more top soil. C, be more fertile. D, have a coarser texture. E, attract silt and clay. Seven seconds."

He chose C. Wrong again, because the answer was D.

"Next question. The water table is BEST described as: A, an unsaturated soil layer. B, soil with strong aeration. C, the top layers of soil. D, flooded ground. E, the surface of the saturated zone. Seven seconds."

Tavros chose E, remembering the picture that followed the description of the water tables. His pencil twirled in the air again.

"Next question. Which of the following statements does NOT explain why a comparison of continental coastlines is inadequate to show if they were once merged? A, sea-level changes in the past would have affected the continental exposure. B, the land is not the true edge of the continent. C, the spreading of continents begins deep in the ocean. D, along a non-cliffed continent, the land usually slopes gently toward the sea. E, the edge of the continent can be underwater. Seven seconds."

He bubbled in E again, but the answer was D.

"Four more guys. During the Dust Bowl, dust from the Great Plains was displaced as far away as: A, the Pacific Coast.b, the Hawaiian Isles. C, Central America. D, the Atlantic seaboard. E, Eastern Europe. Seven seconds."

Nitram guessed D. His pencil twirled.

"Next question. Which mineral is commonly found in all three main categories of rocks? A, quartz. B, gypsum. C, halite. D, clay. E, garnet."

He chose C, then made a face when the answer was revealed as A.

"Next question. Landforms are MOST likely to be studied by a: A, geochemist. B, geographer. C, geomicrobiologist. D, geophysicist. E, geomorphologist. Seven seconds."

Bubbled in B, but the answer was E.

"Last question, you guys. Which zone lies at the shallowest depth? A, continental shelf. B, continental rise. C, abyssal plain. D, mid-ocean ridge. E, ocean crust. Seven seconds."

Tavros bubbled in A at the last second, breathing a sigh of relief when the answer was correct and twirling his pencil in the air.

And promptly realized that he didn't see Sollux's pencil in the air once. Slightly worried, Tavros leaned forward to question his Varsity teammate; he was yanked back by Karkat, who reached over him and grabbed Captor as well.

"Fucking finally, jesus." He dragged them to the back of the gym, passing Equius, Dave, and Vriska on their way down to the seats in the front of the room. Tavros didn't even have time to wish his teammates good luck or anything; he only managed a helpless wave as he was dragged the rest of the way to the bleachers and Karkat stopped to find familiar faces in the crowd.

"Over there." Tavros pointed just as Feferi stood and waved her hand, using her free hand to brace herself on Eridan's shoulder. While the rest of the Scholastics found their ways to their seats, Tavros, Karkat and Sollux climbed up the stands part way. As they came in line with where the rest of their teammates were, they began awkwardly shuffling through people to join them.

"So now what?" Tavros asked Karkat loudly as they sat down. Sollux shuffled further down, passing and ignoring Kurloz, Meulin and Nepeta until he could sit wedged between Eridan and Feferi; he leaned his head on Ampora's shoulder, Peixes' arm going around his shoulders while the Honors student's went around his waist.

"The fuck's up with him?" Karkat responded instead, furrowing his brow at Captor. The woman sitting beside Tavros let out a gasp at Vantas' crude words, but she was ignored. "He's been all screwy since yesterday."

"I- - -"

"Oh, wait…fuck." Karkat hit his head with his palm, rolling his eyes as he did so. "It's Aradia fucking Megido, isn't it? Shit, I forgot her." His lips pressed tighter into a thin line and he sent another furtive glance at his resting teammate. "Did he even get anything right? I couldn't see from behind you."

"No." Tavros answered. Karkat glowered at Sollux, but seemed to accept the Captor's Relay score. "Guess it's based on us then." Vantas mused as they watched Scholastic get through the Relay; while they'd been talking, it had begun. They were already on the second question. "Now we see who beats who. The top two have all their test scores factored in to see who makes it to State."

He pressed his fingers together and leaned forward, his elbows digging into his knees and his lips pushed against his fingers. His eyes were focused solely on the Alternia sign, even though Karkat couldn't possibly see the results from the stands. They sat together in silence, watching the Relay as the Scholastic students finished and the Honors students began shuffling out. Gamzee grinned goofily down at Tavros while he passed, ruffling the Varsity's hair. Eridan pressed a quick kiss against Sollux's temple, his face flushing a dark crimson as he practically threw the Varsity against Feferi when he stood up. John hugged both Rose and Kanaya as he stood up, high fiving Feferi as he passed her and grinning brilliantly at Karkat and Tavros as he passed.

A few moments later had Vriska collapsing on Tavros's right with a weary sigh. Leaning back onto her left arm with a wince- - -she'd broken it when she was ten and then dislocated her shoulder in freshman year, so it was always flaring pain if she put too much weight on it- - -Vriska gestured to the filling chairs.

"That was as pleasant as I remembered." She commented dryly. "Our questions were harder than yours. What the hell, y'know? How many answers did you get right?"

"Um, well- - -"

"I got eight." Vriska interrupted smugly, as if she hadn't asked a question and Tavros hadn't been on his way to answering it. "I don't know if- - -hey, Strider!" The blonde boy leaned forward and stared at her impassively; Tavros could see the corners of his mouth twitching in what looked like irritation. "How many answers did you get right?"

"Why?" He shot back. Annoyance laced his words and through his shades, Tavros watched as he looked towards John, not paying any particular interest to Vriska. Before she could interrogate him more, he said "Six."

"What about our sweat-pouring horse-boy?" Vriska called back. When Dave didn't bother even looking her way, she huffed in irritation and crossed her arms. Leaning back in her seat, Serket waved her hand. "Honestly, you'd think you guys would be a little more appreciating of me, seeing as I'm the motivation behind this damn team."

"Uh, what?" Tavros muttered, distracted. He was copying Karkat's example, leaning onto his knees as he stared intently across the gym, suddenly much more interested in the Relay than he had been a few minutes ago. He could see the flag that labeled their school name, and he could see the back of his teammates; Eridan, followed by John and then Gamzee. The questions, asked over the microphone and therefore clearly audible, echoed in the great space and even though he's watching intently, Tavros can only barely see the pencils go in the air. By the last question, Tavros is only saw Gamzee's pencil twirl about six times, which didn't seem right to him.

Vriska started chattering in his ear again, but Tavros tuned her out when he watched Gamzee trip out of his chair. Since the competition is officially over now, Tavros stood and followed Karkat as they make their way down the bleachers. The rest of the team followed, with Kurloz and Meulin and the extra girls trailing after them.

They reach the Honors students before they have time to do more than stretch and stand up. Sollux and Feferi glomp on Eridan, making Ampora stumble to keep his balance. Dave is gentler, wrapping his arms firmly around John while the other boy kissed his cheek, though he complains loudly about Egbert ruining his coolkid reputation. Gamzee loped up to Tavros and Karkat; wrapping an arm around both of them and leaning down to place his face between theirs.

"Got a motherfucking ten outta ten." He grumbled. Tavros shivered at the deep grating sound, though he couldn't tell if the shivers running down his back were good or bad. Still, he leaned into Gamzee as he continued talking. "Windybro, he got a fucking ten too. Couldn't see that fish fucker though."

"I missed one." Eridan's voice broke through and they looked up to see him seated, Sollux sitting on his knees and Feferi making cooing noises at them both. Ampora looked more than irritated with himself, lip curling as he added, "it was the easiest fuckin one too, cod damn it."

"So Egbert and Gamzee's scores count towards State for Honors." Karkat nodded. "And then it's Tavros and me for Varsity. What about Scholastic?"

"I got eight." Vriska stated again.

"Six." Dave added.

"Oh my." Equius wiped at his face, looking more flustered and embarrassed than usual. "I- - -well, five."

"So that's Sollux, Zahhak, and Ampora." Karkat concluded. "Your scores don't mean shit right now. The rest of us- - -" he glanced around at the rest of his team, scowling, "we'd better start fucking hoping and praying that our scores get us high enough on the fucking ladder to make it to State."

They stood together in a group, staring at each other. Tavros could see weight falling off of Equius, Sollux, and Eridan. He almost felt a bit jealous. If anything, the pressure to get to State felt like a stone on his back, a weight shared by Karkat and Gamzee and Vriska and Dave and John.

There was a click from the side, and they turned around at the same time to see Parcel Mistress lowering her camera with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, guys." She waved the camera around gently. "I've been taking pictures this whole time. For yearbook, you know? I wanted to get one with all of you guys. I already got some while you guys were competing, but since you were all sitting together again I thought it would be a good shot." She shrugged. "I want to get a couple more, outside the college before we leave."

"My mama says purrhaps we should wait a while." Nepeta wrapped her arm around Karkat's waist, nuzzling against Gamzee's arm. "Since there's still so many people prowling about and all. Let's play a shipping game!"

"Nobody wants to play your damn shipping game, Nepeta!" Karkat snapped irritably, making a face at her that she copied back.

"You don't know that for damn sure, Karkitty!"

"Nepeta! Your language, please!" Equius gasped, a shocked look on his face. She bared her teeth playfully at him, squeezing Karkat once before releasing him and bounding up to the much taller Scholastic student. Karkat watched her go with an unreadable look on his face that vanished when Gamzee shook them both.

They spent the next twenty minutes just hanging out in a way that Tavros missed. There was no studying, no quizzes or questions or tests. Dave was sitting on the chair behind Eridan, John seated on the floor by his feet. The Strider was going on and on, making up a rap on the spot that had nothing to do with Academic Decathlon or the Great Depression for the first time in months. His hand was buried in John's hair, the Honors student gazing at him adoringly even as he insulted his boyfriend whenever he took a breath or paused slightly to come up with another verse.

Nepeta was bouncing her way between Equius and Karkat, teasing the Varsity student mercilessly and playing with the Scholastic student eagerly. She would climb up Equius's shoulders, standing on the much taller student and leaping out at Karkat, skidding to a stop by his feet and usually taking him down with her. Karkat would yell at her and try to get the upper hand, leading to a wrestling match between the two that only stopped when Equius stepped in and pulled them apart.

Sollux was looking more alive and connected with the rest of the team, though he was studiously avoiding looking at anyone who wasn't Eridan or Feferi. The trio were huddled together, talking about what was happening with other kids at Alternia. Sollux had pushed himself away from Eridan, scowling at him whenever the Honors student tried to even take his hand. It wasn't long until a fight broke out between them, Sollux flipping Ampora off while Eridan yelled abuse at him. Feferi looked unsure as to what she was supposed to be feeling, but she tried valiantly to calm them both down; she placated Sollux, and when that only worked for a few minutes, the Peixes turned on her heel and glowered at Eridan. When he ignored her, Feferi marched right up to him and touched him softly, but he pushed her aside and she stumbled, landing on the chair hard enough to send it screeching back into Dave.

While Sollux launched himself at Eridan, Vriska sat backwards on the last chair, watching Rose and Kanaya as they worked. Her lips curled in distaste, Serket made snide remarks at Rose, trying and failing to provoke a reaction other than subtle amusement from the blonde girl. Kanaya, with her infinite patience, looked torn between pride in her Rose and irritation with Vriska. Their heated discussion only lasted a few minutes before Vriska was standing roughly, fists clenched and fury written on her face. Kanaya half-rose, afraid of Serket lashing out at Rose; the Scholastic snarled at her before turning on her heel and storming past people into the hall.

Kanaya sighed and, sending Rose a very put-out look, gracefully stood the rest of the way. She followed Vriska, apologizing to the people she shoved aside as she did so.

Meanwhile, Tavros was pulled into Gamzee's side, the Makara switching between ruffling the Varsity's mowhawk and squeezing his arm. "What do we do now, Gamzee?" He asked his teammate. The taller boy looked down at him and grinned lazily, still slouching down so that his arm covered Tavros's shoulder fully.

"Now we wait, little Tavbro." Gamzee responded with a lick of his lips and a dig in his pockets. He produced his bottle and, ignoring Tavros's wrinkled nose, popped three in his mouth. "We got the motherfucking awards ceremony and then, with some luck and mad skills, we got motherfuckig State."

"And after?" Gamzee blinked down at him for a moment, looking confused as to what Tavros was asking. It took a long while for him to understand what Tavros was talking about, but understanding dawned eventually.

"Riiight." Gamzee snickered and shrugged his other shoulder. "There's motherfucking Nationals after that, bro, but right now we've just gotta get our thinkpans stuck on motherfucking State."

"Motherfucking State?" Tavros grinned and, unable to help himself, added, "where we'll make, um, all the other, other motherfuckers irate?"

"Right on." Gamzee drawled. "And then we're gonna motherfucking set the bait..."

"And, uh, trap- - -"

"Jesus fucking Christ, please." Dave interrupted their impromptu rap battle with a horrified look on his face. "Please, you guys. We just went through torture of the likes that only nerds could conjure up, fucking Public Humiliation. And now, now..." He draped himself dramatically over John's bowed head. "Please, don't add the audio torture of your wannabe raps to the style!"

"Hey!" Tavros acted insulted, but a blinding smile contradicted his words. Just as he was about to continue, he was interrupted by a loud squeal.

"Oh!" Parcel Mistress clapped her hands, looking around with a childish glee. "I think we should take our picture now." She rushed forward and caught Nepeta mid-leap, hugging the girl tightly to her. "Let's go, quickly now!"

"Vriska and Kanaya haven't returned as of yet." Rose called out as she gathered her things.

"I'll get them!" Nepeta offered, jumping again and running in the direction the two girls went off. "We'll be right back!"

"We'll be at the entrance, Nepeta!" Parcel Mistress called after her, wrapping an arm around Karkat and taking Equius by the hand. "Everyone else, come along!"

They filed out obediently, too tired to do much else but obey their coach's whims. Talking quietly amongst themselves, the Alternian team gathered around the door where they entered, staring up at the gold and red banner that hung on the wall.

Moments later, Vriska and Kanaya joined them; Kanaya held the Scholastic by her arm, though it was clear she was struggling against the Maryam. When she was close enough, Vriska wrenched her arm away and glowered darkly at Kanaya with red-rimmed eyes. Sniffing disdainfully, she took a place between Dave and Equius, elbowing the Struder in the side hard when he made a comment about how she looked. The rest of the team lined up accordingly: starting with Tavros, who pulled away from Gamzee with a regretful smile. Gamzee loped over to the other end of the line, leaning on John and the wall behind them. Parcel Mistress practically squealed with joy, positioning her camera and snapping several pictures in quick succession.

Without a word, Kurloz took the camera from her and Meulin pushed her towards the team, where Tavros stood. Flushing lightly, the AcaDec coach didn't even bother arguing with the elder Makara brother; she wrapped an arm around Tavros and smiled beautifully, using a hand to brush a lock of blonde hair behind her ear just as her camera went off. Like Parcel Mistress did, Kurloz took several pictures quickly, not even bothering to count down as he snapped the button down.

"All right, everyone!" Parcel Mistress cheered when she got her camera back from Kurloz, muttering a thanks to him as he made his way to his daughter and Meulin. She faced her tired team and smiled sympathetically. "Now we finished. So on Monday, we don't have to go in early. Meet up on Tuesday?"

The entire team blinked at her in succession, nodding at the same time.


	23. Intermission 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brand new perspective

Intermission 4

\- -: Be Future Gamzee Makara

Gamzee tossed and turned on his bed, fingers tapping angrily on the pillows and sheets. His head was buzzing, filling the silence of the night with a different kind of white noise than he was used to. It rang and buzzed and pounded, the normal steady thud-thud-thud that was a precourser to a headache. He licked his lips, biting at the lower one as the Honors student turned to his side to look at the alarm clock on his bedside.

3:45, it read in angry bold red.

Kurloz had gone to bed hours ago, following Meulin and Nepeta. Gamzee heard his father come home at 12; he listened as the eldest Makara worked in his study, paced the house ensuring the doors were locked and windows closed, then watched television until he passed out or Special Victims ended, whichever came first.

Then he lay staring at the ceiling, staring with wide eyes at the dark rafters that creaked every now and then; Gamzee counted to eighty-two calls from the darkened wood holding up the roof before he had a coughing fit and lost track of the number.

That was the first time he lost count.

His hands twitched again and he shoved them under his body to keep them still; as soon as he did, Gamzee regretted it. Sweat was soaking through his shirt to his sheets, making the space damp and turning his hands clammy. He pulled his hands out to let them breathe, resting them on his stomach again.

His hands trembled. His fingers twitched. Sweat was sliding agonizingly slowly down his face; it was getting in his eye, pooling above his lip and slipping down his neck. The first night, he would wipe the sweat away, trying to stay cool with the window locked and air conditioner running all night at 65 degrees.

But no matter how cold he made it, Gamzee still felt like he was burning. By the third night, he'd given up; Kurloz turned the air off and Gamzee opened the window. He let the sweat gather and pour and soak through everything. Meulin or Kurloz would stop by on their lunch break, bringing him food and drinks, and taking everything down to the laundry room to be washed if no one had grabbed it in the morning. Gamzee would wait until they were gone and then go to the laundry room. He'd wait until the washer was done and put his things in the dryer. Then he'd take everything upstairs and put it away and try not to think about how the whole mess was going to repeat during the night.

It was still too hot. He'd had a blanket on a few hours ago because Kurloz had opened the window and told him it was going to be cold ("That's all good, motherfucker. Cold is what I need." 43, lowest, Gamzee, please use the blanket. You'll get sick. "Fuck you, asshole." Gamzee. "Motherfucker. Fine.") but then it got so unbearably hot that the bedding had to go.

There was a breeze; cold air blanketed the attic space, making everything freezing to the touch. Gamzee could feel the air as it moved over him, making the water on his face cool and dry. Still, sweat pooled around him, soaking the sheets and the back of his clothes.

Irritated, Gamzee swung his legs over the side of his bed and sat up. Cold air hit his back, his t-shirt sticking to his skin stubbornly. It brought a moment of blessed relief before the heat assaulted Gamzee again. With a growl, he reached back and yanked his shirt off. Goosebumps flared across his arms and sides as he threw the shirt to the growing pile in the corner of his room. Fingers jittery again, Gamzee pulled his legs up and pulled his pants off as well, giving them the same treatment he gave his shirt.

His aim was off, though, and the pajamas knocked into the glass of cranberry juice Meulin had placed on his nightstand. Glass shattered all over the floor, glinting in the moonlight from the windows. The crimson liquid splattered on the floor and the wall, creating a puddle the inched its way underneath the drawer.

"motherfucker."He growled darkly. The words clumped together in the back of his throat, gagging him until he coughed to clear his throat. Phlegm pushed up, making him gag as it pooled in his mouth; he tried to breathe around it, but the action made him cough harder until he was practically wheezing for air. "fuck..." Gamzee gasped, spitting into the puddle of cranberry juice and laying down again.

He rolled until he was on the dry half of his bed, peering over his arms to look at his alarm clock.

3:49.

His legs bounced quietly on the bed; first his right leg, then his left, right again...each bounce was a little bit higher than the one before it, his shins hitting the mattress with a flump each time. His fingers twitched and then, at four-oh-five in the morning, hammering began behind his eyes.

Squeezing them tighter didn't help to ward off the headache, and soon Gamzee had his face hidden by his arms as his legs slowed to a stop. His fingers twitched instead, knocking into his skull and making pain explode with each soft press. Each hiss was followed by him muttering, trying to stop the pain by sleeping.

By six-fifty, Nepeta was at school and Kurloz was leaning into Gamzee's room, brow furrowed as he checked on his baby brother.

"Get the fuck out of my room, asshole." Gamzee growled from underneath his pillow. He wasn't in the mood to eat whatever soup his older brother brought for him; he didn't want to hear about how this whole ordeal might be for the best. He didn't even want to hear about how the rest of the team was doing, not even Tavros, though he'd be a rotten liar if he said his heart didn't instantly start racing at the thought of the Varsity. His skin was crawling and his head had been pounding off and on for the last two hours. He wanted to sleep but hadn't been able to do much more than close his eyes while he lay in bed. His mind thrummed and decided on two moods; intense, migraine-like headaches that no medicine would soothe or an orchestra of voices in his head that kept him up with intense cravings. For the past four days now, he hadn't managed to even nap for twenty minutes, and he wanted nothing more than to carve out the itch that had burrowed under his skin.

It was morning, though, and the sun chased away the all encompassing heat that plagued Gamzee all night the higher it rose in the sky. He rolled off the bed and tiredly began pulling at his sheets, well aware that he'd chased Kurloz away and that meant he would have to go down to the laundry room to start his blankets and pajamas on his own. With a quiet sigh and trembling arms, Gamzee picked up the pile and headed down, making a mental note to mop up the cranberry juice and sweep the glass up so that he didn't cut himself.

Maybe quitting like this wasn't the best idea.


	24. 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awards Ceremony

Chapter 20

Tavros woke up far too early in the morning. His alarm hadn't gone off yet, but that detail managed to escape the young Nitram. He jumped out of bed, stumbling a bit due to the dark that hadn't gone away, and readied himself for the day. His balance wasn't the best, especially so early in the morning, so Tavros ended up crashing into the walls and desks in his room while he was fighting to get his pants on.

Once he was dressed, he grabbed his phone and turned it on, using the light to ensure both that his brother was still asleep and a safe path out of his room. Muttering a silent thanks that Rufio was a heavy sleeper, Tavros closed the door to his room and crept to the kitchen. Feeling comfortable enough to turn on the light in the kitchen without disturbing his dad or his brother, Tavros casually flipped the switch.

Letting out a slight cry as the room was flooded with light, he waited until he was used to the sudden brightness before dropping his phone on the table and rummaging in the cupboards for a bowl. He was just about to pour himself a bowl of imitation fruity pebbles when his phone vibrated against the table. Tavros reached over as he poured the milk in, unlocking the phone and squinting at the screen. His Trollian account was flashing with a single notification.

CG: A MESSAGE TO ALL NOOK SNIFFERS.

CG: LOG ON, DAMN YOU.

CG: OI, FUCKASSES.

Groaning slightly, Tavros debated the merits of answering Karkat's general addressing. Taking a bite of his cereal, Tavros decided he wouldn't answer just yet. He opened the Trollian app anyway, watching as the team logged on one by one.

AdiosToreador has joined the memo MEETING BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY

CaligulasAquarium has joined and responded to the memo MEETING BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY

TwinArmaggeddons has joined and responded to the memo MEETING BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY

CA: cod damn it kar its far too early in the mornin for your shenanigans.

TA: 2eriiou2ly, kk, what the hell

CG: THAT'S THREE.

CG: INCLUDING YOU, TAVROS.

CG: DON'T THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T ANSWER ME

CG: I DON'T FUCKING SEE YOU ON ASSHOLE.

CG: WHERE THE FUCK'S EVERYONE ELSE?

CA: probably sleepin like normal people, seein as its only 6 in the mornin.

CG: FUCK THAT.

CG: I REPEAT, FUCK THAT. FUCK IT SIDEWAYS AND UPWAYS.

CG: HELL, EVEN ALIEN FUCK IT. CG: I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY.

CG: TROLL SOMEONE TO WAKE THEM UP.

TurntechGodhead has joined and responded to the memo MEETING BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY

EctoBiologist has joined and responded to the memo MEETING BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY

TerminallyCapricious has joined the memo MEETING BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY

ArachanidsGrip has joined and responded to the memo MEETING BEFORE THE AWARDS CEREMONY

TT: fucking hell whats your problem dude fuck

EB: oh hi karkat!

AG: What is it noooooooow, oh gr8 and glorious leader?

CG: FUCK IT I GUESS THIS IS GOOD ENOUGH. CG: EVEN THOUGH ONLY SIX OF YOU ASSHOLES ARE ON.

CG: SEVEN IF YOU COUNT GAMZEE, WHO'S SITTING RIGHT THE FUCK NEXT TO ME.

TA: 2piit it out kk

CG: FINE.

CG: I GUESS

CG: I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN REAL FUCKING SOLID.

CG: LIKE THE SOLIDEST METAPHOR I CAN'T MAKE UP RIGHT NOW

CG: BECAUSE IT'S FIVE-FUCKING-THIRTY IN THE GODDAMN MORNING

CG: AND EVEN IF OUR BULLSHIT STUDYING DOESN'T PAY OFF

CG: AND WE GET DEFEATED BY THAT DAMN PROSPIT TEAM ONCE A-FUCKING-GAIN

CG: AND THE FELT AND DERSE AND MIDNIGHT CREW JOIN IN MOCKERY OF US

CG: AS THE FOUR MAJOR TEAMS FUCKING GUARANTEED TO STATE

CG: THIS HAS STILL BEEN ONE HELL OF A BETTER EXPERIENCE THAN LAST YEAR

CG: AND IF WE MAKE IT TO STATE BY SOME FUCKING MIRACLE

CG: KNOW THAT WE CAN KICK EVERYBODY'S FUCKING ASS AGAIN

CG: SO LET'S PREPARE OUR CULLING FORKS AND GUNS AND SUBJUGGULATOR SHIT

CG: AND KICK ASS.

CA: kar I think that wwas the most inspirational thing ivve evver heard you say.

TC: SeRiOuSlY, bRo. yOu aLl uP AnD FeElInG MoThErFuCkInG OkAy, BrO?

CG: FUCK YOU ALL. BUS LEAVES AT 8.

Karkat went off suddenly, followed by Gamzee, and Tavros wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

AG: Taaaaaaaavros, you ready for your medals?

AT: uH, vRISKA, wHAT MEDALS DO YOU THINK I GOT?

AT: aSIDE FROM, uH, sPEECH?

AG: pro8a8ly nothing. you probably didnt even affect the overall team score, t8h

AG: 8ut you should at least hope for something, r8? ::::)

AT: i, uH, gUESS SO, hUH?

AG: oh, did you ever un8lock striiiiiiiider?

AG: I feel like he keeps trying to say something to you, 8ut cant. its quite amusing, actually.

AG: fuck now its annoying as hell

AG: FUUUUUUUUCK

"Morning, bro." Rufio appeared suddenly, ruffling Tavros's mowhawk and heading for the counter with no care to how his brother was. Tavros yelped and shut off his phone, logging out of Trollian inadvertently mid-conversation.

"Rufio!" He whined, shaping his mowhawk back into place while his older brother rummaged through the cupboards. Tavros watch him for a moment, feeling weird. His brother would be off to college soon, Tavros knew, in the fall. He hadn't said anything about what colleges he chose or where he wanted to go, but the younger Nitram knew that it was more out of unwilling to share rather than not knowing where to go. Tavros could tell that being stuck at home was bothering Rufio the closer it got to his high school graduation; he could practically see the wings struggling to keep from bursting every night he was laying in their shared room.

"You've got a serious face for so early in the morning." Rufio commented as he leaned against the counter. The coffee maker was bubbling behind him, trying valiantly to make the instant coffee. "Caught by the wrong bull?"

"No, I…" Tavros frowned down at his cereal and spun his spoon aimlessly around. "Our awards ceremony is today. Uh, for AcaDec."

"Awesome, little bro." Rufio smiled at him, turning to find a coffee mug in the cabinet. Tavros tried to point him in the direction of the dishwasher, but his older brother began pulling a bowl down anyway. "I'm proud of ya, Tav. You know if you got any medals or something?"

"Not yet." Tavros muttered, still staring at his cereal. "I mean, uh, Karkat said that I'm, um, getting a gold medal in, in speech. But I don't- - -"

"Speech?" Rufio faced his brother at that, astonishment and pride plain on his face. "Bangarang, Tav, speech? Littlest bro, that's awesome!" Tavros flushed at both the look and the compliments, burying his smile in his cereal. Without anything to add, the brothers' conversation trailed off into silence until the alarm on Tavros's phone went off; it was six-forty-five and time for him to walk to school.

As he stood and put his bowl in the sink, Rufio leaned over and grabbed his arm, pulling his younger brother close to him.

"Rufio…?"

"I seriously am proud a you, Tavvie. And dad is too. Go get your medal so that we can brag about you and how smart you are." Warmth spread through the Varsity at the supportive words, calming his nerves just enough for him to make the walk to school.

"Thanks, Rufio." Tavros hugged his brother back before pulling away, sending him one last smile before he walked out of the kitchen and through the front door.

The walk to school felt different; the air was sharper and the sky still lighting up. He didn't have his backpack on him because he wasn't going to class. The Academic Decathlon team was being picked up from the school campus and taken to Light and Rain, where they would have lunch and have the awards ceremony.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Tavros felt a grim smile cross his face as the school came into sight. It was barely 6:59, so there were only one or two students milling about on campus. Tavros strolled on to the school, waving at the campus security as he headed towards his AcaDec classroom.

Nobody in the classroom had their backpacks either; Karkat was scowling fiercely, but playing a hand game with Nepeta while Equius sat beside the smaller girl. Kanaya sat beside him, sewing quietly. Eridan and Feferi were sitting next to each other, Peixes leaning on Ampora and dozing off. Gamzee was playing with his pill bottle, staring at the ceiling and frowning in concentration. Tavros strolled over, waving at everyone and sitting next to Gamzee. The Honors student lolled his head to the side and beamed at him, grin much wider than Tavros was used to as he sat up properly.

"What's up, mini motherfucker?" He whispered loudly, not breaking the quiet of the room. Tavros beamed back, his stomach fluttering in a way he figured was nerves.

"Not much." Tavros whispered back. He watched Karkat play with Nepeta and felt hope go through him; he leaned over to Gamzee and whispered much quieter, "how does Karkat know I got a medal for speech?" Gamzee shrugged a shoulder and leaned back again in his seat.

"Porrim told him." Gamzee said. "Said that you were part of the highest motherfuckers to score for Varsity. Might've let her bias in a bit, but my little Tavbro is so fucking adorable..."

"Gamzee!" Tavros squealed in embarrassment, turning bright red as Vriska strolled in. Dave and John were behind her; they settled themselves in different corners of the room and just as they got comfortable, Parcel Mistress walked in with Sollux in tow.

"Good morning, everyone!" Parcel Mistress beamed at them. "Now, I managed to get the team off for the day, since we have our awards ceremony to get to. Nepeta, Feferi and Kanaya also have exucsed absences to come with us. Am I missing anyone else?"

"No." Karkat twisted to face their coach, peering up at her from underneath his bangs. He sounded tired, much more so than usual. "Terezi and Rose said they'll stay behind; Rose didn't want to wake up and miss her classes, and Terezi had a couple of tests today."

"That's fine." Parcel Mistress took a deep breath and beamed a bit shakily at her team. "Well, kids, it's about 7:15, so we have about twenty or so minutes to kill before the bus gets here, so I guess you can all hang out for a bit."

"Well, where the fuck else are we gonna go?" Karkat snapped at her. Parcel Mistress looked surprised, but she let it pass; she sat at her desk and began sorting through the pile of letters by her computer monitor.

"Hey, you think we, uh, could go on the other computers?" Tavros asked her. She let out a distracted noise and waved her hand, giving her permission without looking up from her mail.

With a small grin at Gamzee, Tavros strode over to the computers lining the wall; as he turned one on and waited for it to start up, he heard Gamzee fall into a seat next to him. They stayed quiet as the log-in screen appeared, the Honors student appearing to be more than content to sprawl out in the chair without actually having anything to do on the computer. The Nitram typed in his student ID and password, opening up FireFox and waited for the school website to pop up so he could get into his student email. He had an essay due in English that had been pushed to the side long enough, and he was determined to get at least half of it done before they went to the awards ceremony. If he managed to finish the whole essay before they had to leave, he would probably get started on his history homework too.

Which, if he was being honest with himself, was far too optimistic.

Gamzee decided, ten minutes into sitting next to Tavros and watching the Varsity type out his essay, that he didn't want to just chill next to his best friend. He popped two pills into his mouth and tugged on Tavros's arm. And his sleeve. Then his hair. He poked the Nitram's side and placed his head on the Varsity's shoulder, muttering excerpts from the Great Depression's Music selections and snippets from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Tavros squeaked in shock more than once due to the Honors student reaching over to tug on his earlobes.

All in all, Gamzee kept Tavros so thoroughly distracted that by the time Parcel Mistress announced the buses had arrived, only a third of his essay was finished. Gamzee looked distinctly unapologetic as he swaggered over to the door, Tavros following behind him after he emailed himself the essay and shut the computer down.

They filed into the bus one at a time, barely acknowledging the bus driver staring impassively at them. When they were all seated, with surprisingly minimal fighting, he stood up and turned to face them.

"No food." He listed the rules off like bullets, "no switching seats when the bus is moving, don't throw shit in my bus, no gum, water's fine but anything else I'll personally toss out the window." He sat down and started the bus, muttering. "It's only a couple a hours to this place, you guys should be mature enough to handle that."

And then they were off.

Seated next to Gamzee on the bus, Tavros couldn't help but envy the Makara's calm demeanor as the bus pulled out of the school. Gamzee was staring out of the window, watching the trees go by as they drove to the award banquet. Tavros himself was a small bundle of nerves, twisting his fingers in his lap and biting his lip worriedly. The entire bus was quiet, though Tavros wasn't sure if they were just tired from the past two days of competing or if it was because it was eight in the morning. John was leaning against Dave's shoulder, Strider's arm wrapped firmly around his boyfriend's shoulder. They were both dozing off, not paying attention to Vriska behind them listening to her ipod and tossing a couple of dice in the air while Kanaya sat next to her quietly and read. Feferi and Nepeta were sitting across from Dave and John, playing a quiet but apparently intense game of cat's cradle.

Behind them was Eridan and Sollux, the latter dozing off as well while Ampora hesitantly ran his hand- - -surprisingly ring-free- - -through Captor's hair. Karkat was sitting across from Tavros, a slight frown on his face as he texted with Terezi; she was back at the school with Rose, the two girls eagerly awaiting the result of the AcaDec's efforts. Parcel Mistress was sitting beside him, content with the quiet of the bus as she sorted through the mail in her bag. Equius was sprawled out behind them, snoring lightly as he slept.

Tavros was leaning against Gamzee slightly, twisting his fingers and shaking minutely. Part of it was due to the morning chill, but it was mostly due to the heart wrenching anxiety twisting up his stomach and creating a lead weight in his chest. Gamzee turned on the seat, making Tavros squeak in surprise as his head dropped an inch onto Gamzee's chest. Thin arms, surprisingly warm despite the morning chill, wrapped firmly around his waist. Warmth flooded Tavros and unconsciously, he nestled closer to it.

"Chill, mini motherfucker." He rumbled softly. His hand mussed with Tavros's mohawk, forcing him to relax even further against his friend. Gamzee kept talking, and Tavros felt the vibrations of his voice as he did so. "You did a bitchtits awesome job and for motherfucking sure you got a medal."

"I don't know, Gamz." Tavros whispered back nervously. His fingers clutched at the other boy's shirt, though it was the only outward show of the turmoil in him. "What if Porrim was lying?"

"Nah, that motherbitch wouldn't tell a motherfucking falsehood. Not to Karbro." Gamzee assured him. "You probably got your motherfucking gold medal, and it's just waiting there for you to pick it up. But you've gotta put a lid on that bubbling motherfucking pot of shivers bro. Can't accept a medal with your body fucking shaking with horrorterrors and shit."

"Right." Tavros shook his head and took a deep breath. He tried to lift his head, but Gamzee's insistant petting meant he didn't get too far before Tavros was forced to lay back down again. The rest of the trip passed quietly, anxiety thrumming through the bus the closer they got to Light and Rain. Tavros found that Gamzee was more comfortable than his lanky form looked, and he couldn't bring himself to get up off of his best friend.

At least, he couldn't until 11:30, which was when they got to Light and Rain. The team crowded to the empty seats behind Tavros, watching as the building grew in size the closer they got. Silence reigned, tensions filling the air as the words- - -sunshiny yellow for Light and cloudy for Rain- - -appeared in their glorious calligraphy. The bus slowed to a stop, right outside the entrance, but nobody could bring themselves to stand up and get off the bus.

"Just remember," Parcel Mistress said as she stood up, voice shaking lightly, "you all did your best. I'm proud of each and every one of you." She smiled at each of them in turn while they faced her, stony-faced and slightly terrified, clapping her hands once to get them moving. They filed off the bus quietly, Parcel Mistress leading the team through the doors and to their tables.

Light and Rain was just as bright as the name suggested. It was a wide open space filled with round tables, each with seven chairs. The walls were white and the roof was arched high over their heads. Raindrops decorated the entirety of the building, from lightly painted storm clouds on the walls to droplets of blue hanging from the ceiling at different lengths.

"Here's the breakdown of the room." Karkat muttered to Tavros as they headed to their seats. "There are three categories. Third section, all along the back there," he gestured to where Tavros was supposed to be looking, "those are usually where the beginning teams start out. It's basically the bottom feeders, not stupid, but not too terribly bright either. The Second section, they're basically the middle ground. What the bottom feeders aim for."

"Where are we?" Tavros asked quietly.

"Right motherfucking here." Gamzee plopped down in a seat, dragging the Varsity down into the chair next to him. They were right at the front of the room, next to wide windows and a glass door leading outside.

"We're in the First section." Karkat hissed as he took a seat on Gamzee's other side. "Which means we're in the one section that fights tooth and nail to get to State. They choose the top seven schools to go on."

"Last year w-we w-were short by a couple hundred points." Eridan added as he took a seat on Karkat's other side. Feferi sat next to him, Sollux on her other side. Vriska took the seat on the other side of Tavros. Parcel Mistress was behind them, with Kanaya on one side and Equius on the other. John and Dave sat by the Scholastic, though Kanaya was right behind Vriska and Nepeta on the Maryam's other side.

Food came out at 12:15 as soon as all the teams were seated, which was a slight relief. The entire room was filled with noise instantly, everyone relaxing a bit as they dug into lunch and talked with their teammates. Karkat and Gamzee dug into their food right away, ignoring everyone at their table as they inhaled their food. Vriska took slower bites, though she watched the teams around them with sharp eyes. Eridan and Sollux were having a semi-civilized conversation with each other over their spaghetti, both cowering under Feferi's watchful gaze.

Behind them, three tables over, Tavros could see Prospit's Meenah and Roxy engaging in another shouting match, though Kankri was slowly sliding under the table instead of trying to stop them. Porrim was sitting next to him, her hand on the baggy fabric of his sweater. Aradia and Jade were sitting together at the table behind him, the girls having a spirited discussion with each other.

"I didn't expect Porrim to be here." Karkat mused suddenly, his mouth full but his gaze locked across the room.

"Yes, she wanted the first-hand experience of watching everyone get their medals this year." Kanaya leaned between Tavros and Vriska to speak to Karkat. "Especially since this is Kankri's last year, remember? He starts college next year."

"Shit." Karkat breathed quietly, putting his utensils down to stare incredulously at his brother. "Fuck. How the hell did that happen?"

"Astounding, isn't it?" Kanaya replied dryly, pulling back to sit at her own table again. "Perhaps after the ceremony, we could go and celebrate with him tonight?"

"Probably." Karkat agreed. "Porrim's probably gonna bring him fucking home isn't she? Fuck."

"Fuck indeed." Kanaya muttered back, just loudly enough for everyone between her and Karkat to hear as well as the Vantas brother she was taking to. "You aren't the only one who is going to have to deal with him later. Now eat your food." Karkat turned his attention away to finally face Kanaya, but the other girl made a stern noise without looking and he pursed his lips and stared down at his food. With a disgusted sigh, Vantas glowered and shoved another forkful of chicken into his mouth.

"Kankri's a senior?" Tavros asked Gamzee curiously.

"Motherfucker didn't know?" The Honors student responded with a grin. He had some spaghetti sauce on the corner of his mouth, and it made Tavros hide a smile by biting on his lip. Gamzee continued on, unaware of the effect he was having on his friend. "Yea, practically all those motherfuckers are leaving. I mean, aside from..." He trailed off, shoving another forkful of pasta into his mouth and humming as he chewed, "Eh, the two Varsity bitches and that Scholastc asshole, the rest of those motherfuckers are gonna be college-level next year."

"Wow, I didn't know that." Tavros looked at the team again, watching as Meenah purposefully knocked over a glass of ice water into Roxy's lap and the girl screeched loud enough to make Jane wince and jerk away; her elbow crashed into Jake's side, making him flail and knock Dirk's sunglasses onto the floor. The resulting crack of the lenses and the Strider's loud curse was lost in Cronus's cheering.

Tavros made a face, trying to straighten it before one of them saw him. He never would have guessed that most of the team would be graduating already.

"It's awesome for us." Gamzee continued. "After all, a brand new motherfucking group of suckers means it'll be easier for us to take those motherfuckers down next year."

"Next year?" Tavros squeaked in shock; he hadn't thought anything past surviving Academic Decathlon this year, and the thought of having to start the process again next was was daunting to him. Gamzee grinned at him with a mouth full of food, but anything Tavros would have told him was cut off by the squeal of the microphone and the announcer's words. The Varsity was trying to listen to whatever he was saying, but Gamzee sprawled out in his chair and his leg knocked against Tavros's. He felt heat blow up his face, lighting his ears and crawling down his neck. The Makara's knee knocked against his thigh, jolting his leg with anticipation. Each time it happened, Tavros felt more heat in his face and another jolt of his stomach. Vriska was muttering something to him, especially once student's names were being called and they were coming up to accept their medals, but each word she said faded with each press of Gamzee's leg against his. Chills jolted down his spine when the Honors student gave him a lazy smile, and Tavros felt frozen and in a daze until his name cut through everything.

"Nitram, Tavros." Tavros was stunned for only a moment before lunging forward on shaky legs, barely holding himself from running up to accept the gold medal for speech. As soon as he was able, he bolted back to his seat. Smiling breathlessly, Tavros held out the medal as best as he could to the people closest to him. Gamzee ruffled his hair affectionately, beaming lazily at his best friend. Vriska socked his arm, her knuckles soft and tender against his arm. Dave and John cited their congratulations, Karkat grudgingly slapping his back.

He blocked out the rest of the ceremony with Gamzee, not that he'd been paying much attention to it anyway. Instead, he and Gamzee fawned over his speech medal, completely ignoring the medals hanging around the Makara's neck as he earned them. Tavros traced the words on it until his fingers went a bit raw, his heart fluttering in his chest each time he saw the medal. Vriska made a couple of snide comments about the other teams, but when it went largely unnoticed by Tavros she turned her words to John instead.

"And now, perhaps the most important part of this whole shebang…" The announcer paused dramatically, successfully gaining the attention of all the teams in the room; conversations were instantly silenced, all eyes instantly turned to the front of the room. Karkat even went so far as to slap a hand over Gamzee's mouth and Eridan's, though the entire Alternian team was staring at the announcer with wide eyes. None of them were even breathing, and Tavros felt his stomach twist and turn and knot up in anticipation.

"The teams headed to the State competition are…" The other announcer followed the other's example for a brief moment before pointing to the side, where they had listed the medal winners. There was a blue screen instead, blank except the words 'State Competitors'; Tavros felt his breath catch in his throat, and he unconsciously took hold of Gamzee's hand.

"Prospit Private." The first announcer read, just as the school name flashed on screen. Jake, Roxy, and Jade's victorious shouts could be heard across the whole room. Meenah jumped on the table and threw her fist up in the air, shouting something that sounded a bit like 'Suck it, beaches!', followed by a squawk of outrage as Roxy grabbed a hold of her braids and yanked her back down. The entire team divided into squabbles, with their coach trying valiantly to keep the peace without resorting to pulling out his gun.

Karkat made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, but that was the only acknowledgement he gave to Prospit. He kept his eyes firmly to the screen, watching intently as the next school was listed. His knuckles were white, his fingers tearing into his seat as school after school was listed.

Prospit, FELT, the Midnight Crew team, Prospit's main rival team Derse, a team who called themselves Vagabonds, their sister school of Mendicants, and Denizen High.

Tavros held his breath as he stared at the seven schools listed to go to State. His heart felt slow in his chest as the rest of the teams clapped politely, dropping into his stomach as he willed the screen to change somehow. Tavros looked into the dejected faces of his teammates, knowing his own disappointed face was looking back at them. How had they not even placed? Tavros wasn't sure where they stood, in respects to last year, but he simultaneously did and did not want to know. It would be better to know, obviously, because then he would know how hard he'd need to work next year.

But if they were really close, closer than the couple hundred points the team needed last year, he wasn't sure he wanted to know how close they'd gotten only to have it slip away.

"Oh, that's right." The announcer let out a laugh and leaned into the microphone again. "I forgot to mention, kids, that we have funding to send one extra school to State this year!" The school names vanished, and hope welled up in Tavros's chest again with an almost painful anticipation; his heart started hammering in his chest, and he didn't even notice when Vriska caught hold of his fingers once more. Time seemed to stop, and it seemed like everyone in the room held their breath as they watched the screen. The announcer was still speaking, but it his voice faded into the background as the number eight lit up on the screen. Vriska's hand was cutting off the blood flow in Tavros's fingers, but he didn't notice over the pounding of his heart and the sudden warmth of Gamzee's hand on his arm.

"...Alternia High School!" Tavros blinked when his school name came up, the letters lit up in white on the blue screen. Tension in the team seemed to drop suddenly as every one of them simultaneously relaxed. Sollux let out a loud whoop, followed by Vriska jumping to her feet and shouting something that sounded victorious. Tavros sat numbly with his eyes wide, his breath coming in short excited gasps. A wide smile broke out over his face, but he didn't move until he felt arms wrap around his chest. Gamzee was staring down at him, a lazy grin spreading over his face and his unfocused eyes alight with excitement.

"You hear that, bro?" He drawled, carefully not getting any of his white face paint in Tavros's mohawk. "We've up and motherfucking won!"

"We're going to State." Tavros corrected with a wide smile. Pride welled up in his body, and he was sure it showed on his face; the thought was proven when Gamzee let out a throaty chuckle and nuzzled his hair slightly.

"Motherfucking miracles." He murmured. Tavros giggled, but Gamzee wasn't done. "I told you that we'd be all motherfucking right bro. Your scores must have been all up and motherfucking miraculous." Tavros blushed darkly, but accepted the praise with grace. There was no use denying it at this point, because between his scores and Karkat's, they helped their team get to State.

Suddenly, it hit him like a brick wall. Surely they were making history and a name for themselves; they had to be. In the three years since their AcaDec team had formed, they had managed to make it to State for the first time. They just beat out schools that had been around for a lot longer than they have, competing at a State level.

Tavros jumped up and let out a loud yell, wrapping his arms around Gamzee's waist. Karkat made his way over to congratulate them both, and got swept up in the hug with a loud curse. It attracted everyone's attention, and suddenly the three boys were swarmed by the rest of the team. Tavros felt Karkat get smashed against his back, which pushed him further into Gamzee. Nepeta was on Makara's other side, Feferi and Eridan right next to her. Even Vriska was shouting happily, her nails finding a way to catch on Tavros's arm.

They barely managed to get themselves calmed for the end of the awards ceremony, but it didn't matter. Tavros felt a nervous energy thrumming through his body, and the rest of the team clearly felt the same way. As soon as they were dismissed, every single Alternia student bolted from their tables to the balcony outside.

"Oh, my cod, I can't believe it!" Feferi squealed happily, throwing one arm around her stepbrother's waist and another around Sollux's neck. She brought the boys together in a tight hug, ignoring the fact that Captor was trying to call his mother to give her the news. "Congratulations!"

"Hmph!" Karkat crossed his arms, talking to Dave and Equius. "That should show those assholes in Prospit we're good enough for them now, dammit."

"We certainly are playing with the big boys now." Dave kept his monotone voice, but he couldn't get rid of the smile that had infected his face with cheerfulness. The blonde grunted slightly and stepped back when John appeared out of nowhere, throwing his arms around Dave's neck and planting a kiss on the coolkid's lips. Egbert's own cell was hanging from his fingertips, almost hitting Vantas in the face with enthusiasm.

"Ew, what the fuck?!" Karkat screeched, ducking out of the way.

"Come on, guys, we gotta head back!" Parcel Mistress called. When all students turned to look at her, she flushed a bit and held up her clipboard. "Alternians, head back to the bus please!"

As they toppled over each other in their haste to get on the bus, the atmosphere was drastically different from the morning trip. The rest of the ride back to school was light and playful; Feferi got them to start singing, and once it started it was impossible to stop them. Feferi started with 'Under the Sea' with Eridan and Sollux, and then Nepeta and Equius made the rest of the team join them in singing 'So What'. Vriska took over halfway through, stomping and clapping and started 'We Will Rock You', which Karkat immediately followed up with 'We Are the Champions'; the whole team, still reeling from their milestone in getting to State, practically wore their voices out singing along.

As the last notes died away, Parcel Mistress decided to keep with the Queen spirit and got them started on 'Another One Bites the Dust'. Which somehow segued into 'Bohemian Rhapsody'; by the time they got to their school, all the windows on the bus were rolled down and they were all stomping and jumping in their seats, bellowing "OH, BABY- - -CAN'T DO THIS TO ME, BABY!" while the bus slid to a halt.

They piled out of the bus as soon as it stopped with cheers and whoops of joy, attracting more attention from the few students still around at three in the afternoon. Karkat made a beeline towards Terezi and Rose, all but dragging Kanaya with him in his eagerness to show off his medals. Feferi pulled Eridan and Sollux over to a waiting car, not giving Captor any other choice and forcing him to text his mom to let her know he would be going to a celebratory dinner with his friends. Equius and Nepeta ran around, the Leijon on the Zahhak's shoulder as she shouted the news for the entire school to hear. Vriska, the last one off the bus, plopped onto the ground and spread out on the grass, wearily watching Gamzee and Tavros.

Tavros couldn't figure out what to do, his entire body vibrating with adrenaline and excitement. The Makara was laughing loudly, spreading his arms and turning his face towards the sun. Tavros grabbed a hold of the Honors student's hands; Gamzee retaliated by bending down and picking him up easily, spinning the Varsity student around. The sky blurred, blue mixing with white and painful yellow while the wind ruffled through his Mohawk the same way it did after their speeches and interviews. The brightness above them was the limit to the Alternian team, and the Varsity student spread his arms wide on either side of them, completely trusting in the lanky but strong arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Without realizing it, a joyful laugh bubbled out of Tavros's mouth.

The quick spinning began to make him slightly nauseous, but Tavros didn't mind, laughing until Gamzee slowed down and pressed his lips against the smaller Varsity's. They stopped abruptly, Tavros's eyes wide with shock.

Gamzee's lips were soft and pliable, molding themselves easily against Tavros's. His hands were holding tightly to Tavros's arms, keeping him close enough to feel the heat radiating from Gamzee's body. Tavros could feel himself tense up, but Gamzee pulled away completely before he could do much else. The Makara stepped back and spun around, his arms outstretched and his medals clinking together on his neck. He looked serene and happy, carefree with the weight that vanished from his shoulders. Tavros was watching him with wide eyes, face crimson, until Gamzee was caught by Nepeta and dragged to where Kurloz was parked with Meulin. With a carefree wave, the youngest Makara followed his cousin into the car and they left. Tavros almost didn't notice when his brother appeared, stunned still by the taste of Gamzee and pills against his lips. He let himself be led off in a daze, fingertips pressed lightly against his cooling lips.

He didn't notice Vriska, watching after him with narrowed and suspicious eyes.


	25. Chapter 24 Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which stuff comes crashing down

The next morning Tavros inched into the classroom nervously, keeping a wary eye out for Gamzee. The Makara was sitting in his normal desk, spinning what looked like a coin between his fingers as he stared at the ceiling. Taking a shuddering deep breath, the Varsity entered the room fully and tripped, falling over himself in front of the rest of the team as he approached the desks. From the corner, Dave let out a long appreciative whistle to accompany Karkat's derisive snort and Vriska's muttered 'Smooooooooth...'

Sinking into his chair, Tavros buried his face in his hands and peeked at Gamzee through his fingers. The Honors student was smiling back at him goofily, though there was a hint of something in his eyes; they were as unfocused as usual, but there was something tense in his body and gaze that spoke of nervousness. His other hand twitched and began tapping on the table, creating a chaotic rhythm on the wood that was interrupted by their team leader clearing his throat.

"So, fuckasses," Karkat held up a thick pamphlet of paper, making everyone groan in dismay. He watched them all with a smirk until the complaints more or less died down, and slammed the papers on his empty desk. "These are our scores from fucking Regionals, and we need to improve them tremendously if we want to have any hope of making it in fucking State."

Vriska let out a loud, victorious cheer.

"We're going to fucking State!" She crowed. It brought on another wave of excited relief, and Karkat crossed his arms with a smirk as he watched his teammates rejoice. He let it go on for a few minutes before uncapping his marker and tapping the lid of it against the whiteboard.

"All right, all right, ladies, settle the fuck down." Karkat flipped the page over and wrote out their team on the whiteboard again. Almost as one, the AcaDec team scooted a bit in their seats to watch Karkat write out their scores, flipping the pages to find each overall score. "Honors."

Eridan scored high, scoring an overall 9,328. Feferi squealed in pride, hugging her stepbrother tightly while Sollux playfully punched his arm. Eridan patted Feferi's head even as he glowered at Captor. John's score was up next, the boy scoring 9,288. Egbert cheered, accepting high fives from Eridan and Equius, a hug from Feferi, and a quick kiss from Dave. Gamzee scored 9,456; he smiled goofily and accepted a bro hug from Tavros, making Karkat roll his eyes and highlight John and Gamzee's scores in red high expo marker.

Scholastic was next: Vriska scored an even 6,000; she sank back into her seat with a relaxed smile, though her hands were trembling minutely; her nails made a light tapping sound against the wood. Dave scored just under her, hitting 5,984. Equius was the highest scorer though. His overall test score was 6,598, making Karkat click his teeth together in disappointment that his scores didn't count towards State.

Tavros was surprised when they got to the Varsity scores; though he knew they'd scored high enough to beat out the other schools to State, there was no way at the scores they'd gotten were even high enough to compete.

Karkat had scored 2,542; it made him scowl darkly at it, though he couldn't seem to shake off a slightly victorious smile at the loud whistle that came from Gamzee. Tavros wince when his score went up, though he hadn't done too poorly; he scored higher than Karkat by almost a thousand points somehow, his score totaling 3,126. He got a loud round of applause for his score, though he wasn't quite sure how it was possible. Nevertheless, he took his score as gracefully as he could, with a violent blush showing on his face for it.

Everything died down when Karkat made no move to write out Sollux's score.

"Um, Karkat?" John said hesitantly when Vantas's fingers began to crinkle the last paper. Karkat made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, his eye beginning to twitch furiously. John seemed slightly encouraged to continued speaking, though his voice stayed even and soothing to prevent setting off the Varsity. "What did Sollux get?"

"I don't fucking know!" Karkat snapped loudly, still staring at the paper. The classroom atmosphere shifted from relaxed and excited to tense so quickly that it threw Tavros off. Almost without realizing it, the Varsity student slid from his seat to find comfort in Gamzee; the Honors student wrapped his arms around the Varisty, his chin landing softly on Nitram's head. Karkat didn't look up from his paper, his voice going sarcastic. "Oh, gee, I wonder what the fuck fuckface got on his god damned tests! I fucking wonder how he scored on his fucking essay! What _THE FUCK WAS HIS SCORE FOR HIS GOD DAMNED INTERVIEW AND FUCKING SPEECH_?"

Every eye was on him as Karkat whirled around and slammed out Sollux's name on the whiteboard along with his score: 0.

Tavros frowned, uncertain if that was quite right. Sollux hadn't gotten any medals at the awards ceremony, true, but there was no way he could have gotten an overall score of 0. There was no way it could be possible. He hadn't even gotten such a low score, and he couldn't remember half of the things he was supposed to. It had to be some sort of typo. How in the world could anyone even get a score of 0?

Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, because they all turned to stare at the other Varsity student. Karkat even turned from the whiteboard, his hands locked onto the marker tray next to _The Grapes of Wrath_ , to glower at the last Varsity. Sollux, for his part, sank in his seat until his chin hit the wood of his desk.

"Thorry, guyth." He mumbled quietly, his lisp more obvious the more he spoke. "I didn't reali..I'm tho thorry."

"Fucking _dammit_ , Sollux!" Karkat roared, throwing the book at his best friend in his anger. Sollux dodged, but narrowly; the corner of the book hit his cheek, making Captor hiss in pain. A bright red line bloomed, the scratch obvious against his pale skin. Eridan moved as if he was going to reach forward, but hesitated and pulled back a bit. Feferi looked torn, her eyes wide and worried. Everyone else stayed silent, watching with baited breath. "How the hell did you manage to get a fucking zero in anything? In fucking _everything_?"

"I didn't write the ethay." Captor admitted reluctantly when it was clear Vantas demanded an explanation. The team held their breath as they listened to his very unwillingly given explanation. "And I anthwered motht the teth quethtionth. But…they were all wrong."

"Speech and fucking interview." Karkat pressed, his teeth clenched together. Sollux looked away, and Feferi finally gave in; she reached out and gave Sollux a hug, drawing him into her chest and slowly swaying back and forth as if her touch alone would calm her shaking friend. She also shot a look at Eridan, who shrank back into his own chair a bit more.

"I thkipped interview." He hesitated along enough to make even Eridan overcome his fear of Karkat; Ampora reached forward and tangled his fingers in Captor's hair. Sollux leaned into the touch slowly, not letting go of Feferi. "And I thcrewed up both thpeecheth badly. I ended one before the thirty thecond mark. And the other nearly a minute after."

"Jesus _FUCKING_ Christ!" Karkat pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "You complete and utter _ASSHOLE_! You FUCKING KNEW how GODDAMNED IMPORTANT this was! What the actual _FUCK_ , man?"

"I had other thit to do!" Sollux argued back weakly; Tavros felt his stomach drop, knowing the boy was thinking about his confrontation with Aradia. Karkat took a deep, shuddering breath that shook his whole body; when he spoke, it was with a much calmer voice, even though it was also through tightly clenched teeth. He sounded just slightly understanding, though there was no room to doubt his absolute fury with his teammate.

"This was more fucking important than your fucking girlfriend, douchebag!" Karkat threw a marker. It missed by a long shot, but everyone flinched away from Vantas anyway; he'd worked himself into a blind rage that he would turn on anyone if given the opportunity. Tavros felt bad, but he was glad it was Sollux on the receiving end of Karkat's fury and not him. He tucked himself further into Gamzee's side, heart pounding, while the Makara kept his arm tight around Tavros's chest. "Thank FUCKING GOD that Tavros fucking beat you in the god damn Relay! We definitely wouldn't have gone fucking ANYWHERE with your fucking scores!" Karkat threw another pencil before sinking to his knees and burying his hands in his hair. His fingers were barely visible in the tangled mop, clenching the strands as he shifted on his toes.

Gamzee strode over to the furious team leader, bent down and patted Karkat's shoulder distantly with one hand, a slight frown on his face as he did so. Tavros squeaked as he was moved as well, moving closer to Karkat than he wanted to be at the moment.

"Calm down, bro." The Makara muttered softly in his best attempt at being soothing.

"Fuck. Off." Karkat hissed, his voice muffled by his knees. The room was deathly quiet, more silent than Tavros was used to. Vriska was staring with wide eyes, her finger shaking from being held in the air. Equius was sweating so much Nepeta looked lost, not even breathing. Kanaya, Dave and John were sharing looks, Rose calmly knitting away beside her girlfriend. Everyone was watching Karkat pull himself together; Sollux looked torn between hiding by Eridan and Feferi as always, and trying to help calm Karkat.

"We're still, uh, headed to State." Tavros muttered quietly, everyone turning to look at him. Even Karkat's eyes peeked up at him from the floor. Tavros cleared his throat slightly, his pulse jumping into his throat. "And, um, that's the important part, I guess. So, well, what does it matter how we, uh, got there?"

Everyone kept staring at him and Tavros curled a little bit more into Gamzee without meaning to, unsure that he should've spoken up in the first place.

"As long as fucking Captor fucking studies." Karkat muttered resentfully. "And doesn't get caught up in his damn girlfriend again." Still, he stood up and sniffed, crossing his arms and glaring out at the rest of the class. He'd composed himself very quickly for being Karkat, and after a brief moment the team leader looked ready to get back to business. "All right, assholes, listen up."

Tavros tried to squirm away from Gamzee once he was sure that Karkat wasn't going to explode any longer. The Honors student shot him a look that was almost wounded, but allowed Tavros to slip away from him. Sighing a bit in relief as he got away, Tavros avoided his usual desk completely in order to sit with Dave and John on the other end of the room.

The Varsity ignored the looks from his teammates as he sat down, brow furrowed as he tried to think. All weekend he had thought of Gamzee's lips against his, wondering how he should feel about it. Nobody had ever kissed him before, and he wasn't sure how he felt about Gamzee being the first person to do so. One the one hand, the Honors student was quite nice, especially to Tavros, and very smart underneath the babble and perpetual high. He went to great lengths for Tavros, the Varsity knew, and yet...

He was stuck on that day, when Gamzee was just slightly sober, and how the Makara had proved volatile in such a short amount of time. There was no repeat of it, nothing even close to that extent had happened again with Gamzee acting as the Nitram's protector, and yet it was the first thing that had come to mind.

And then with what Vriska had told him over the weekend...

He made the mistake of glancing over at Gamzee once he was seated as comfortably as he could be between Dave and John; Makara looked as if Tavros had slapped him, shock and hurt warring in his eyes until he blinked and curled in on himself. Gamzee slid down in his desk, slouching and tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. Unconsciously, Tavros mimicked the movement, though he made sure he at least appeared to be listening to Karkat's rant on State competition.

To be honest, though, he only vaguely understood what was going on. He understood what Karkat said about State; they were a new team and had no idea what to expect. Karkat said something about focusing on a single topic, for medal purposes, and had gone around asking them what topic they would be studying. Tavros wasn't even sure of what answer he'd given Karkat when the team leader had reached him. Karkat had given him a weird look, and John had made some comment about Tavros's lowest score, but he was adamant and Karkat didn't even try to talk him out of it. He made a note on his paper and moved on, leaving John to question Tavros worriedly until Dave stole his attention away.

Which left Tavros to his thoughts again, and that didn't help him any at all.

Gamzee was his best friend, right? That's all; anything else was too much to deal with, especially right now when they had State to worry about.

"Tav?" Tavros turned slightly to see Gamzee lingering in the doorway; one hand was wrapped loosely around the strap of his backpack, the other shoved in his jean pocket. He wouldn't meet Tavros's gaze, shifting a bit where he was standing as if he wanted nothing more than to bolt. "Got a motherfucking minute?"

"Uhh, sure...?" Tavros responded gingerly. They waited a moment while everyone filed out in pairs; Dave and John had already absconded, having used Dave's awesome flash-stepping to vanish as soon as the bell rang. Vriska was talking to Kanaya, ignoring Rose who was texting someone. The Serket called to Tavros, waving for him to join her and the other two girls since he shared a class with Kanaya, but he waved her away and her face fell just a bit before she turned her back on him and left. Eridan and Sollux edged around the two, giving them curious looks but moving along without any questions. Karkat watched them curiously, but disappeared as well.

"Motherfucker, I..." Gamzee trailed off, licking his lips and shifting slightly. Tavros felt his face heat up a bit, his eyes fixated on the pink suddenly appearing on Gamzee's lip. Clearing his throat, Tavros covered his staring by verbally prompting his best friend.

"What's up, Gamzee?" He asked encouragingly.

The Makara lunged forward suddenly, pressing Tavros against the doorframe and molding his lips against the Varsity's. His hands were cupped around the Nitram's face, holding him still as he devoured Tavros's mouth. The younger boy's eyes were wide and round, and he froze in pure shock. All he could feel was the soft, desperate pull of Gamzee's mouth on his, and it paralyzed him until there was a sharp nip at his lower lip and a tongue tracing the outside of his mouth.

"N-No!" Tavros pulled away, wiping his mouth viciously on his sleeve. Gamzee whined, somewhere in the back of his throat, but Tavros stepped back as far as he could, turning his head away to prevent another kiss. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Well, uh, V-Vriska said- - -" Gamzee growled in the back of his throat, cutting Tavros off with a whimper. His face twitched, twisting into a weird look of anger and jealousy.

"I don't give a motherfuck about the spiderbitch." Gamzee cleared his throat pointedly, pulling his hands away from Tavros's face; one went into his pocket, the other to the strap of his backpack. "I wanna know why my main motherfucker can't."

"Because!" Tavros exploded. He listened, numb and in slight horror, as his words tumbled out of him without any sort of filter. "I don't, like it when you, uh, get high. I hate it. And, um, I'm more than a little, uh, afraid of you, just, at times. Even, even Karkat said, um, that you're scary sometimes. Even high. Though, uh, I think, I'm pretty sure, uh, that's a different, different sort of scary. I think. And you're too, uh, violent for me!" Tavros couldn't meet Gamzee's gaze, knowing he was hurting him but unable to stop his words. "You-You always wear, um, that stupid face paint so I don't even, even know what you really look like. Not that, um, I mean... And you're always, always, always swearing. It's scary." His voice trailed off, Tavros's breath catching in his throat. "You scare me, sometimes, Gamzee."

"You didn't _motherfucking mind_ before." Gamzee growled darkly, his hand tightening on the strap of his backpack. Tavros felt his heart stutter, his breath stop in his lungs as Gamzee scowled. Something had changed, and the Varsity wasn't entirely certain what had just happened. The Honors student was tense, his eyes lit up and his lip curled in anger; Tavros was reminded again of the day Gamzee got over protective and shrank back just a little more. "You were all up and _motherfucking fine_ with it before."

"I didn't know- - -"

"So _now_ that you got all sorts of _unmiraculous shit_ in your head, it _ain't_ ok no more?" Gamzee bit out furiously.

"That's not- - -" Tavros made an irritated noise in the back of his throat, trying to take deep even breaths to keep himself from panicking. He didn't know how to deal with this type of Gamzee, and it was beginning to give him a headache for even trying.

"Then _enlighten_ a motherfucker, bro." Gamzee leaned in close, forcing Tavros against the door frame. He could feel the cold metal digging into his back, and was suddenly reminded of the time Vriska put him in a wheelchair when they were nine.

Tavros gasped and shut his eyes tightly, feeling tears pool up. His breath began coming in panicked gasps, he was shaking so badly that everything in his bag was getting jumbled around, and despite his best efforts, he could feel the tears breaking loose and trailing down his face.

"Y-You're scaring me, Gamzee..." He whimpered. There was a tensed silence for a long moment, but eventually Tavros felt the heat from Gamzee's body fading away. Sniffling slightly, Tavros brought one hand up to rub his eye and the other to wipe his nose as he peeked at the taller boy.

Gamzee's face was void of emotion, completely blank save for his eyes. His eyes were a cesspool of emotions, a swirling hurricane where everything was trying to take dominance at once. Fury, sorrow, resignation, hurt, everything was fighting and yet Gamzee stood frozen, watching intently as yet another tear welled up and trailed down the side of Tavros's face.

He reached out, aborting the movement before Tavros even had a chance to flinch away; with a sigh that sounded as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, Gamzee turned away and walked to the other side of the classroom. Tavros watched him go, feeling something catch in his throat as Makara headed to the other entrance to the classroom.

"Gam- - -" He tried, but it came out as a whisper and got caught in his throat. Tavros cleared his throat, feeling another panicky emotion welling up; what would happen if Gamzee left while he was as upset as he was now? He wasn't sure.

Suddenly, Tavros needed assurance that they were ok.

"Gamzee, wait." It didn't come out any louder, and Tavros added frustration to the emotional roller coaster he was currently on. Gamzee didn't hear him, or he was ignoring him, because he kept moving; he opened the door, hesitated just slightly, and then he was gone without a word.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dam breaks, and shit gets taken care of

Chapter 21

Before anyone could take a breather to relax, State Competition loomed over them all and they were cramming ruthlessly in order to be prepared.

Turned out what Tavros had missed while not paying attention to Karkat was the team leader's strategy: since there were ten subjects, seven of which were very easily studied through packets, each of the members of their team had to pick one subject to focus on getting a medal in. It was a good one because it was their first State competition, and it was a good way of testing the waters in terms of learning how hard the tests were. Sollux had chosen Math, Karkat decided on Art, John took Music, Dave had Social Science, Vriska dominated Super Quiz, and Equius and Eridan took over Economics.

Tavros, unwittingly, had taken on Language and Literature, which was why John and Karkat had looked at him so oddly. It had been his absolute lowest score on the scantrons, due to Tavros not reading the book, and since Karkat wrote it down as the subject material he was going to focus on, Tavros realized belatedly that meant he had to read the damn book. It wasn't his best idea, really, but Tavros didn't want to change his focus now and so with a grit of his teeth and a clench of his jaw, he forced himself to get through the book. Which, much to the Varsity's surprise and delight, was much better than he thought; once he got through the first slow chapters, it became an easy read and he tore through it in a day and a half. Tavros had been re-reading it ever since, taking chapter quizzes on the AcaDec website and going through the other shorter selections and about the authors.

Gamzee, though; Gamzee vanished two weeks before, with no way to communicate other than Kurloz. Karkat was infuriated, shouting all levels of abuse at the older Makara brother and threatening him unless he returned with Gamzee, but Kurloz merely smiled at the smaller boy and rubbed his head. Sollux, Eridan, Equius and Dave took turns bringing the extra material Gamzee needed for the day to Kurloz; the skeleton loving older Makara graced them with a wide smile and a pat on the head.

Vriska always drew back when Kurloz came in the evening, finding some excuse to sit next to Tavros in the back of the classroom by the computers. She was the only one who seemed to be on Tavros's side when it came to Gamzee; Karkat was furious with him, barely able to even look at him without baring his teeth. Dave and Rose just seemed disappointed, but John gave Tavros looks of sorrow and confusion that the Varsity couldn't handle. Sollux and Eridan were so wrapped up in each other and studying that they didn't really seem to care either way, but they usually sided with Karkat. Equius, Kanaya and Feferi tried to be understanding and look at the situation from Tavros's point of view, but even Kanaya tossed sharp disapproving comments at the Nitram.

He tried to convince himself that his teammates supported him as well, but it was hard when he remembered they were all Gamzee's friends before they were his. Except for Vriska, but it didn't seem that she cared for Gamzee even before Tavros came. Kurloz paid no mind to them when he came in, barely giving them a wave on some days and completely ignoring them altogether on others. Tavros always watched the older boy like a hawk when he came in, wanting to ask how Gamzee was but not being able to muster up enough courage to do so.

With Gamzee AWOL, Karkat became harsher than usual. He was snappier at everyone on his team, pushing harder study schedules as if it would make up for their missing Honors student who was hopefully studying. Terezi, Feferi, and Kanaya kept taking turns trying to calm the small boy down, but he shut down every effort they threw at him; all it accomplished was to make him more irritated, because instead of lashing out immediately like he normally did, Vantas seemed to be making a conscious effort to internalize his anger. It didn't make anything any better, it actually made everything much worse. It just meant that when he finally erupted, nobody was going to be able to escape his wrath, and the poor soul who triggered it would be caught in his rage. He was a short fuse made worse by the pressure of the Decathlon's upcoming competition, and nobody managed to stay around him willingly for more than five minutes.

A little earlier, half an hour into their intense study session that started at three after school, Nepeta plopped herself down next to him. Tavros tensed at the bubbly girl's action, watching out of the corner of his eye as Karkat didn't even spare her a glance. The other girls had been trying to keep her away from Vantas, and it seemed that she had finally managed to give them the slip.

"Get the fuck away from me." He deadpanned immediately. Nepeta ignored him, nuzzling the top of his head. Karkat bristled at the action, too close to Gamzee's way of messing up his hair, but Nepeta didn't seem to notice or care. She made a sound similar to a purr, a serene smile crossing her face.

"Why don't you take a break?" Nepeta asked, pouting when Karkat pushed her away. She didn't stop, though, her nails beginning a soothing rake through his hair. He swatted her away, his eyes glancing at her once before returning to his material.

"I need to fucking study this." He replied. "State's in another god damned week and I have to know this shit. Fuck off Nepeta."

"Maybe we can go on a date!" She chirped, ignoring Karkat completely. Her olive colored eyes had a faraway look in them as she plotted the events of their supposed date, and she didn't even seem to realize how tense Karkat was underneath her hands. He tried to shove her hands away, but she would only leave his messy hair alone for a few seconds before raking her nails through the soft strands once again.

"No, I don't want to go on a fucking date with you." Karkat snapped. "Give it up already, dammit. Fuck off, Nepeta."

"You need to calm down, Karkitty." She purred. Her hand still scratched comfortingly at his hair and he swatted at her irritably. She was unperturbed by his obvious and loud rejection, simply moving to touch the side of his face; her fingertips brushed against his cheek and Karkat snapped.

His hand shot out and gripped her hand tightly, making the girl yelp in pain. Equius stood quickly, but he was on the other side of the room with Vriska and Dave; he was as helpless as everyone else when Karkat stood and swung Nepeta around. He put too much force into his movement and she crashed into the front of his desk, the edge going into her stomach. She gasped quietly, her bright olive eyes widening in surprise. Her other hand went down shakily, bracing herself against the desk as Karkat reached out with his free hand and grabbed a large handful of her hair underneath her hat. Both hands tightened, yanking her hair at the roots and bruising her pale skin. Tears filled Nepeta's eyes from the pain, but she didn't let them fall as Karkat glowered at her with a hateful expression.

"I said," He snarled quietly, his voice dripping with venom, "to get the fuck away from me, you cat-crazy bitch. Can't you see I'm fucking trying to study?"

"K-Karkat, let her go." Tavros was the one to finally break from his stupor. He moved and took Karkat's wrist in his hand, trying to get him to free Nepeta's hand. Sollux seemed even more shocked at Tavros's outburst; he was staring between his two Varsity team mates, seemingly unable to do much other than that. Even Karkat seemed shocked, though he didn't break his dark gaze from Nepeta. The room was engulfed in silence for a moment, all eyes on the three by the front of the room.

"Fuck off, Nitram." Karkat finally snapped back without looking. Equius came to a brisk, sudden stop by Tavros and picked up Karkat by the back of his shirt. The movement knocked off Nepeta's hat, but it forced the small Varsity student to free her from his grasp. As soon as she was free, Nepeta fled to the other side of the room, curling on the floor where Equius had been sitting. Dave squirmed awkwardly, turning his head to look pointedly at John across the room. Vriska made uncertain cooing noises, shoosh papping the cat-loving girl in an awkward pantomime of Karkat's actions to Gamzee. Tavros watched her go, feeling a bit of pity grow in his stomach. While Equius and Karkat started fighting, he bent down and picked up her blue hat.

He squatted in front of her, waiting until she looked up at him. She was shaking, her tears finally falling when he reached out and took her hand gently in his own. Dave shifted away, Vriska stopped touching her, but Tavros pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Nepeta's tears soaked his t-shirt, though he didn't mind. Instead, he tried awkwardly to place her hat back on her head.

"It's just, uh, stress." Tavros whispered to her quietly. Nepeta hiccupped but nodded against his shoulder. "He'll be back to normal in no time, ok?" She didn't answer, and Tavros bit his lip. "It's...uh, you know, it's 'cause of State, right?"

"Uh-uh-huh." Nepeta hiccupped again and pulled away to look at the floor. Tavros sighed and put on a slight smile for her. With a slightly trembling hand, he placed his fingers on her chin and gently prompted her to look up. His eyes met her watery ones, comforting her as best as he could.

"Then everything will be ok, uh, right?" A hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped about five feet. Tavros's head shot up, his eyes wide and terrified, staring straight into Equius's sunglasses. The normally clean, brand-new shades were smudged and cracked, though Equius didn't seem to care. His head was tilted in such a way that Tavros realized he wasn't looking at the Varsity, and was instead staring down at the small girl in his arms.

"Kurloz is here." He said quietly.

Nepeta jumped to her feet, hat falling askew, and bolted. Tavros turned, startled about how cat-like she moved, just in time to see her pounce. Kurloz grunted as his daughter's weight settled on him, her arms around his neck and her face buried in his chest. He frowned down at her, fixing her hat and petting her hair. With a practiced ease, Kurloz reached down and swept his arm under her legs, curling Nepeta against him. His hand trailed down her face and her side, frowning more when his hand pressed against her stomach and she winced.

Accusingly, his glare shot around the room until it landed on Tavros. The Varsity shrank back into Vriska, but the Scholastic pushed him away, scrambling to sit on the other side of Dave; the Strider subtly scooted several inches to the side, trying to get away from the Varsity without attracting Kurloz's attention. Even Equius absconded, leaving Tavros alone to bare the weight of Makara's deadly gaze.

First Meulin with his off-hand comment from months ago, then Gamzee with his horrible rejection and the younger Makara's sudden disappearance, now Nepeta... Tavros gulped again. It seemed like Kurloz was destined to hate him forever. Though he still wasn't quite sure what was going on with Gamzee at the moment, and to be fair he hadn't even done anything to Nepeta.

Karkat suddenly shuffled in front of them, blocking Tavros and drawing Kurloz's gaze to him. His glare melted into confusion, especially when Karkat wouldn't lift his head and meet his gaze. Guilt seemed to radiate off the Vantas, his fingers gripping the edge of his long sleeves.

"Hey, Nepeta." Karkat muttered; his voice sounded thick and heavy, like his nose was stuffed up. Already he sounded much calmer, like all he had needed to relax was to release his fury on a single person; his gaze kept shifting guiltily, as if he was ashamed that it had been the Leijon to trigger his anger. Nepeta squeaked, but pulled away from her father enough to look down at Karkat. He sniffed, rubbing his nose with his arm, before finally meeting Kurloz and Nepeta's stares.

"Oh, Equius..." Nepeta sighed, her body slumping against Kurloz's. Karkat ignored her breathy words, still rubbing at his nose with a wince as if it would stop the blood flow that came from his nose.

"You know all the fucking stress we're under." He said curtly, chancing a look at Equius; Zahhak crossed his arms, and Tavros noticed for the first time the dotted blood that decorated his knuckles. Nepeta nodded, her gaze sliding over to Tavros's before returning to the shifting Vantas in front of her. Karkat looked like he was ready to continue speaking; his mouth dropped, formed the beginning of Nepeta's name, but he suddenly sneezed, blood spraying all over his sleeve.

"Yeeeoww!" Nepeta's responding yelp sounded like a startled cat, the girl climbing higher on Kurloz even as he took a graceful step back. Karkat snorted, still using his sleeves as the force of his sneeze cause the blood to flow a little faster. Nepeta began looking around for a tissue box, but nobody was willing to get too close to the Makara-Leijon duo and Karkat.

"Anyway," he continued, "fucking stress leads to short as all hell tempers and frayed fucking nerves and shit like that." He shifted again one more time before he finally spit it out. "I'm fucking sorry, alright?"

"Oh, Karkitty!" She said it louder, her face softening her delicate features. Kurloz let her down slowly, though it was clear that he still not entirely comprehending what was going on. Nepeta carefully wrapped her arms around Karkat, the Varsity student turning his head to the side and pressing his sleeve harder against his nose so he wouldn't get blood on her green jacket.

Kurloz leaned to her other side, signing something too fast for Tavros to see.

"No, no, no." Nepeta hugged Karkat tighter. She didn't seem to care too much about not getting her jacket bloodied, but her hands were trembling minutely still. Tavros could see it, even from where he was all the way across the room, and wondered if Karkat could feel how much he scared her. "Can he come home with us? Gamzee would purrbably be happy to see him."

"I fucking can't!" Karkat snapped, pulling away from her as he lost his calm. He swung his arms out, forgetting about his bloody nose. The crimson liquid dripped steadily, landing on Karkat's clothes and the carpet, but Vantas didn't seem to notice or care. "Didn't you fucking hear me? Stress! Fucking stress for fucking State, and you- - -!" He turned on Kurloz, who offered him a familiar lazy smile and a lifted eyebrow in response to being acknowledged. "I don't give a flying rat's ass about whatever hell Gamzee is going through. It's his own fucking fault. You make sure that nook sniffer is fucking studying as best as he's fucking able to, understand?"

Kurloz nodded once, and Nepeta pounced onto him again before turning to leave. Kurloz waved at the room as a whole, Karkat following him out with his voice. As the door shut, Karkat whirled around and focused a deadly glare at everyone staring at him. They shrank back from him on instinct and principle, but Vantas seemed much closer to normal than he did ten minutes ago when Nepeta sat down beside him. He watched them all intently, then snarled instructions at them as if they'd forgotten the reason they were there.

"Get the fuck back to work." He muttered darkly.

"Guys- - -oh, Karkat, your nose- - -oh, never mind that, guys!" Parcel Mistress was breathless as she entered the room, inching around the Varsity team leader to get to the whiteboard. She picked up a marker and wrote 'HYATT' across the top of the board; then she turned to the rest of the room, frowning when she saw the rest of the team. "What's going on?"

"What's up with the hotel?" Dave asked instead, curiosity tinting his voice. It pulled their coach's attention away from the strange mood of the group, eager to share the discovery she made.

"Right, so when the teams go to State, they usually stay at a nearby hotel. And since there are a lot of teams at State, probably more than here at Regionals, they always stay at the Hyatt." Parcel Mistress underlined the Hyatt as if it would cement her meaning any clearer.

"I'm liking where this is going." Vriska snickered. "Hyatt's a nice hotel."

"It also doesn't serve breakfast, and it's expensive." Parcel Mistress added the two points underneath the word, turning to the class again. "And we still need to decide how we're going to be getting to State. We might not have enough funding to stay at the Hyatt and, say, get a plane ticket. We don't have time to fundraise, either, and we have to save money for materials for next year."

"So what's the plan?" Karkat asked stiffly, still trying to get the blood to stop flowing down his nose. He had sat back down, leaning back in his seat and laying his head down on the desk behind him.

"I found another place to stay." Parcel Mistress squealed happily. Next to the Hyatt, she wrote out 'QUALITY INN'. "It serves a free breakfast, there's free wi-fi, and it's a lot cheaper than the Hyatt." She added the two bulletin points, quickly sliding to a blank whiteboard. In bright blue, Parcel Mistress wrote out 'Travel' as she said, "which brings us to the next point, how to get up there."

"Wait, how much cheaper is the Quality Inn compared to the Hyatt?" Eridan asked suspiciously.

"Well…" Parcel Mistress faltered a bit, switching whiteboards again so she could list the prices next to their hotels. "We need at least four rooms: one for Vriska, Feferi and Nepeta, one for Kurloz, Muelin, and I. Two rooms for you boys, as well, which you can divide however you like amongst yourselves. The Hyatt can charge up to $229 a night for one room. Which would total to about..." She did quick math in her head, writing out the overall price as "...$2,748. Quality Inn will charge about $960 for all four rooms for three days."

"That's quite a difference." John commented with a slight frown. "And considering our team isn't too popular to begin with at the school, we really need to save all the money we can."

"Well," Equius said slowly, "we need the rooms. And the money for next year." He looked around at his teammates and asked, "do we really need to stay at the Hyatt, in that case? Not having to pay for breakfast would be a good thing. And it would probably be better to each other in terms of having to study, because it would be quieter. No other teams but us would be there, because they'd all be in the Hyatt."

"Less chance for a sabatoge!" Vriska clapped once and smirked at the other Scholastic. "I like the way you think, Zahhak."

"That's not exactly- - -" Equius started.

"It's decided then!" Serket jumped up and pointed at the board. "We stay at the Quality Inn!"

"Vriska, it's kind of a team decision." Dave told her sharply. "After all, I'm the kind of guy that needs my beauty rest. And I'd think you'd want to be able to socialize with other teams, considering how Peixes was your best friend."

"That was one fucking year, Strider!" Vriska snarled back defensively, her fists clenching immediately.

"Um, guys?" Tavros interjected before anything could escalate, "we still need to, uh, figure out how we're, um, gonna get down there, right?"

"Right!" Parcel Mistres switched boards again. "Now we can fly- - -"

"No can do." John vetoed the idea the second her marker left the whiteboard. The team trend and stared at him, making Egbert turn red and duck into Dave's side. From the blonde's red hoodie, the Honors's student voice came out muffled. "I'm scared of heights."

"Well..." Parcel Mistress blinked a couple of times and then crossed out 'airplane', continuing on as if she hadn't been interrupted. "We could take the train; it would only take us about four hours, but we'd have to leave in the middle of the awards ceremony on Monday in order to make it back here at an appropriate time."

"By train would be cool." Eridan murmured thoughtfully. "Never been on a train before. Could be a hell of an experience."

"Durig the awards ceremony, though, meaning at least half of us won't get our medals right away." Karkat mused. "They'd mail them to us later, probably."

"Fuck that." Sollux snorted. "If I'm working my ass off for math, I'm getting my award on Monday."

"That's assuming you get an award, fuckface." Vantas glowered at him until Captor looked away with a 'tch'. "But he's got a point. I don't want to wait an extra fucking who knows shit until they mail the damn medals."

"Which leaves driving." Parcel Mistress added that to the list. "I'll take one car, and four students. Kurloz and Meulin have offered to chaperone as well, meaning they can take the rest of you."

"What about Feferi and Nepeta?" Sollux asked. "They're coming too, wouldn't we need an extra car?"

"Well..." Parcel Mistress drew two diagrams on another board. One she labeled the driver with a little 'PM'; the other she added 'KM' and 'ML' in the driver and passenger seats respectively. "I can take four of you."

"Tavros." Karkat supplied instantly. Parcel Mistress nodded and added 'TN' to her car diagram.

"I'll go too." Vriska shot back just as quickly. 'VS' was also added, followed by 'DS' and 'JE' when both boys decided they would ride with Parcel Mistress and their other two teammates. Beaming, Parcel Mustress moved to add everyone else to Kurloz's car; she added Gamzee (GM), Karkat (KV), Nepeta (NL), and Equius (EZ) when Vantas stopped her.

"That's all Kurloz and Meulin can take." He said with a glower.

"How many people can they fit in their car though?" Parcel Mistress asked, confused. Karkat flushed, glancing round at Tavros with a sneer before sticking to his decision stubbornly.

"It doesn't fucking matter." He insisted. "Kurloz isn't going to want to deal with too many fucking people, let alone Ampora and Captor. So that's fucking it."

"But Eridan and Sollux..." John trailed off in confusion, looking at the two in question.

"My mom can't even make it for the Relay and Awards Ceremony." Sollux answered before anyone could ask. "She's got Tuna to take care of and two jobs."

"Fef's mom's in Europe on business right now." Eridan added. "And dad, he just left to visit family on the other side of the country."

"Hold on!" Parcel Mistress capped her marker and bolted into the core. They watched as their coach disappeared around the corner, then looked at each other in confusion.

Less than five minutes later, Parcel Mistress was back; she was beaming and dragging one of the other English teachers by the hand. The other woman was short and cheerful, waving at the AcaDec team as she was pulled to the front of the room.

"All right!" She cheered happily, bringing the other woman to stand by her at the whiteboard. Picking up the marker again, Parcel Mistress added another car diagram next to hers: 'MP'. She added Eridan (EA), Sollux (SC), and Feferi (FP) to the other woman's car before turning and introducing their volunteer. "For those of you who don't know, this is Ms. Paint. She's agreed to help us chaperone, which means she'll be able to take the rest of you guys up to State."

"Is this going to effect anything in terms of rooms, though?" Equius asked with a frown. "Or would it be better if we rented a car big enough to add the extra three people to Parcel Mistress's group?"

"Renting a car might be more expensive because we're going so far, and for three days too. If we rented a car, I'd probably have to actually pay for four days, since I don't know what time we'll be back." Parcel Mistress shook her head. "And Ms. Paint has decided she will pay for her own room, so everything's ok."

"So that's covered then." Karkat sullenly pulled his papers towards him.

"Anything else?" John asked curiously.

"Right," Parcel Mistress switched whiteboards again, writing another list and titling it 'Things to Bring'. As she spoke, Parcel Mistress wrote it down quickly, making her writing slightly illegible. "Obviously, you'll need clothes. Something formal for Interview and Speech. T-shirt and jeans will be ok for the test taking and Relay, so something comfortable for that. And semi-formal for the Awards Ceremony."

"And for the love of god, bring fucking pajamas!" Karkat interjected quickly. Dave opened his mouth, but Vantas cut across him with a snarl and a dark glower. "Even if you sleep in the fucking nude."

"God, Karkat," Dave intoned with a straight face, "I was just going to ask if I could bring a matching set of clothes for Lil Cal, since I've got no doubt in my mind the little fucker will be joining us on our drive up. Jesus fucking Christ, where the hell's your mind? Get your head out of the gutter and pay attention to what our beautiful coach is telling us, bro."

Everyone erupted into giggles, to which Karkat responded by face planting his desk and staying down.

"But if we do happen to sleep without a shirt, is that ok?" John asked nervously. "I mean, we're all guys anyway and Vriska's gonna be rooming with the girls..."

"Egbert..." Karkat muttered dangerously.

"Just make sure you've got a shirt on if I come to study with you guys." Vriska snorted. "I don't want to see the lame lack of muscles, sorry. Then again..." She winked at Tavros, who flushed darkly and turned to Parcel Mistress.

"Anyway!" She clapped her hands loudly. "On top of that, you need to bring your resource materials so that we can study. Snacks, if you so choose. And your student ID, because they're going to ask for it." She studied the short list she made and nodded decisively. "That it, guys."

"So we'll leave Friday morning." Karkat added, lifting his head from the table. "At 7 in the fucking AM, so make sure you're here or we'll be leaving your ass behind. Got it?" Everyone muttered their consent, already turning back to their respective areas to begin studying again.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The drive up to State Competition

Chapter 22

Friday March 18

At six in the morning, Tavros stumbled into the AcaDec classroom to find eight bleary eyes on him. His suit case rolled to a stop behind him, hitting the back of his legs loudly and attracting the attention of everyone already in the room. Karkat, Sollux, Eridan and Feferi all looked up to blink at him from their cocoon of limbs in the corner of the room, their suitcases toppled haphazardly by Parcel Mistress's desk.

"It's too fucking early." Karkat muttered venomously underneath his breath, ducking his head and curling up a bit more against Sollux. Tavros yawned in agreement, taking a seat at a desk and slumping over the desk. Parcel Mistress was sitting at her desk as well, rubbing her eyes and watching wearily for her team. Ms. Paint sat in a rolling chair beside her, wide awake and spinning in slow circles in the chair.

Vriska stumbled in at six-twenty, followed by Dave five minutes later. Neither said anything to anyone, just chose a seat and plopped down into it. Tavros noticed tiredly how Vriska purposely chose the seat next to him; he watched her wearily for a few minutes until he put his head down, watching the door for Gamzee to come in. He found himself waiting on the Honors student, wanting to talk to him like they did before Gamzee confessed to him, before the Makara kissed him.

But Equius was the next to arrive, at six-thirty-five, followed almost immediately by John. As soon as he walked through the door, Parcel Mistress stood up and clapped her hands together, attracting everyone's attention.

"All right everyone!" She said with tired cheerfulness. "Now, since everyone's here and ready to go- - -"

"Not everyone is here, though." Tavros interjected. Everyone turned to stare at him; even Parcel Mistress looked shocked. No one interrupted her while she was talking, given that she was the coach of their team, and Tavros was normally so quiet and polite that he wouldn't have interrupted Meulin while she was talking.

"You mean Gamzee?" She asked gently. Tavros, who was a dark crimson under everyone's attention, nodded mutely. Parcel Mistress sent him a gentle smile to match her tone as she said, "Kurloz texted me earlier, when Karkat arrived. They've been waiting outside."

"Outside?" Tavros asked weakly.

"Gamzee's fucked up right now." Karkat said tensely. "He decided against dealing with everyone so early in the fucking morning. So he's outside with Kurloz and Meulin. And Nepeta. They're ready to go; me and Zahhak over here just need to get in their fucking car."

"He's not coming in?" Tavros asked quietly, feeling a bit downhearted. He hadn't seen his best friend in three weeks, not since he watched Makara leave the classroom after Tavros shot him down. Vriska and Karkat were giving him weird looks, but the Varsity slumped a bit in his seat to avoid them.

"No." Karkat said shortly. "Like I said, he's pretty fucked up."

"But we can't worry about that right now." Parcel Mistress said quickly. "We've got suitcases to put in our respective cars and make sure that we've got everything together, so let's go!"

Everyone stood up reluctantly to get their things together; Sollux and Eridan fought briefly over taking Feferi's suitcase to the car until Peixes stood up and snatched it from between them. Ms. Paint stood up and smiled at them, motioning for the three of them to follow her out to her car.

"Oh, before we do that, we need to check for school IDs!" Parcel Mistress called hurriedly from the opposite door; Tavros, Vriska, Dave and John slid to a stop just behind her. "Everyone, get your school IDs, please!"

Karkat strode forward and brandished both his and Gamzee's IDs, Equius following behind him and presenting his own; Parcel Mistress checked them briefly and let them out ahead of her to put their bags in Kurloz's car. Vriska made a clicking noise with her teeth and pulled out her wallet, practically shoving it into Parcel Mistress's face. Dave and John pulled theirs out, waiting behind Tavros while the Nitram searched his pockets.

He couldn't find his ID.

Nitram waved them ahead of him while he dropped to his knees to check his suitcase. As the couple walked outside to join Vriska with her things, Eridan and Sollux ran over to hand their ID cards to Parcel Mistress. Tavros checked all the pockets of his suitcase, then pulled out his wallet and began flipping through it again. With each pocket that remained empty of his ID, Tavros felt his stomach sink and his heart jump into his throat.

He couldn't find his ID card.

"Tavros?" Parcel Mistress crouched down next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Do you have your ID?"

"No." He muttered miserably.

"Well, where the fuck is it?" Karkat asked with a concerned frown. Tavros shrugged, biting his lip and trying not to tear up. Karkat punched his shoulder gently, making the other Varsity look up at him. Frowning down at him, Vantas reiterated his question. "When was the last time you even fucking saw it?"

"I don't know." Tavros whispered quietly. "I honestly don't know. I can't remember."

"You need your ID." Parcel Mistress worried her hands before checking the time; she bit her lip. "It's six-forty-four. Go check the student center and see if you can get another ID. Quickly, quickly, go!"

Tavros jumped to his feet and ran past her; he rounded the corner of the English building and spotted the student center/art building. There wasn't anyone around, so he bolted as quickly as he could to the student center. He barely skid to a stop in time to avoid running into the normally open door, but it was a moot point because the door was locked.

Dejectedly, Tavros trudged back to the classroom were everyone had re gathered and heard about his missing ID card. They all looked at him when he walked in, but he shook his head and slumped into the nearest chair. Then he buried his face in his arms.

"Well," Parcel Mistress said slowly, "we're going to have to wait until seven."

"Fuck!" Karkat scowled, followed quickly by a "god damn it!" from Vriska. Tavros winced a bit, but Parcel Mistress quickly came to his defense.

"He needs his ID card." She said. "State Capitol isn't too far away. Five, six hour drive, maximum, so it's not like we're going to be too late." Tavros smiled at their coach, sinking into his seat a bit more and watching the hands of the clock tick closer to seven.

Right at seven, he jumped up and headed back to the student center room with his wallet. Tavros got to the building just as the president of student council was unlocking the student center. Thanking god silently, Tavros approached the other boy nervously.

He smiled brightly at the Varsity as Tavros followed him into the room and he sat behind the counter.

"Good morning!" The other boy said cheerfully. "What can I help you with?"

"Um, morning." Tavros smiled back shyly. "I, uh, lost my ID card. Would, would you be able, to, um, print me a new one?" The student council president's smile fell slightly, and he bit his lip as he thought.

"Hmm." He muttered to himself. "No, I don't know how to work the computer and the printer to make the ID card. You'll have to wait until Mrs. S comes in so that she can do it."

"What time would that be?" Tavros asked with a sinking feeling. The other boy shrugged.

"Could be around seven-thirty, that's when she usually gets here." Tavros smiled weakly and thanked him, then left the room again. The sun was brighter on him as he walked back to the English classroom, his shoulders slumping as he re-entered the room.

"He said I had to wait until seven-thirty."

"We don't have time to wait until seven-fucking-thirty!" Karkat snapped. He jumped up and grabbed a hold of Tavros's arm, dragging him back out of the room. Tavros hazard a glance at the time- - -it was barely seven-oh-five- - -but went along with Vantas because it was always easier to go along with what the other boy wanted.

"Oi, fuckass!" Karkat snapped at the surprised student council president, who jumped about four feet in the air at the sudden loudness in Vantas's voice. Karkat slammed his hand on the counter and leaned forward, pointing with his free hand at Tavros. "He needs his fucking ID card!"

"Like I told your friend," he said with wide, terrified eyes. "I can't actually- - -"

"Why not?" The team leader demanded furiously. "It can't be too fucking difficult, can it? It's printing out a piece of fucking plastic!" The student body president looked a bit shocked at Karkat's reaction, but the Vantas showed no signs of slowing down his verbal onslaught. "Well? How fucking difficult is it, exactly?"

"Karkat..." Tavros muttered reproachfully.

"No, I want to know!" Karkat interrupted his teammate with a growl, reaching out and slamming his hand on Tavros's mouth. Tavros winced a bit, but took the hint; he leaned against the desk and watched Vantas out of the corner of his eye as he took a stance against the wood. Karkat bared his teeth. "I want to know why we can't just fucking print the damn thing out now. Is it really so fucking difficult that you can't wrap your tiny head around it?"

"Students are not allowed to print out ID cards." The other boy stammered under the onslaught. "I don't know how to- - -"

"Figure it out!" Karkat yelled as the door opened. "We've got to get going, dammit! Call someone! The ASB director, the student council VP, the fucking principal if you have to!"

"What's going on here?" A woman asked with a frown.

"I- - -"

"Look, my moron of a friend here lost his student ID and this fuckass won't do anything about it!" Karkat didn't seem to care that he was yelling at a teacher; the woman looked scandalized briefly before marching around the desk. The student body president relinquished it gratefully, disappearing into the back room where the student body met.

"No, he wouldn't." She said shortly as he left. "He's a student, and therefore not able to run anything in the office. That's what I'm here for. I can print out a new ID card for you quickly."

"Thank you so much!" Tavros interjected before Karkat could open his mouth. She smiled at him and turned on the computer, waiting patiently for it to start up. Karkat glowered impatiently as she began typing up what she needed to print out a new ID card; Tavros began tapping the desk tunelessly, humming quietly to himself as be checked the time: seven-twenty.

The student body president opened the door connecting the student store to the ASB office; Tavros could hear him unlocking the doors to let the students in and greeting a couple that came in for a quick breakfast or something to drink. Nitram entertained the idea if getting a powerade, but the thought of Karkat lashing out at him again was slightly terrifying and not worth the risk; he stayed right where he was.

"Sign this please." The ASB director said, placing a paper on the counter in front of Tavros and Karkat. Quickly, Nitram reached around his fellow Varsity and grabbed one of the flower pens from the pen cup. In one quick, practiced motion, Tavros signed his name on the paper and slid it back to her. She took it and turned to the printer. "That'll be twenty dollars, please."

"Crap." Tavros muttered with wide eyes; he'd forgotten about the fee! He pulled out his wallet and dug through it again, getting ten dollars from it and handing it over with an embarrased look at his teammate. "I only have ten dollars right now..."

"For fuck's sake!" Karkat sighed irritably and began digging in his own pockets for the other half of the money.

"Don't worry about it, ok, sweetheart?" She smiled brightly as she handed his brand new ID card to him. "Just bring in the money on Tuesday, ok?"

"Thank you!" Tavros took the offered card and turned to smile brightly at Karkat; the Vantas team leader scowled darkly and put his hands on Tavros's shoulders, turning him around and pushing him out of the office.

"Just fucking move already so we can get going!" Karkat shoved him all the way back to the classroom, where he announced, "Moron has his ID card, can we finally go?"

"Yes, before it gets any later!" Parcel Mistress clapped her hands and directed everyone out to the parking lot.

Ms. Paint turned out to have a little white car, with little paintbrushes on the back. There were seven, two big ones and five little ones in a neat line; they weren't labeled but Tavros marveled briefly at having such a big family.

Feferi got in the front seat of her car, Eridan and Sollux climbing in on either side into the back. Ms. Paint tucked herself into the driver seat and waved, starting her car and waiting for everyone else.

Karkat and Equius shared a look and walked to the other side of her little white at, clambering into the back seat of Kurloz's car instead. Nepeta's cheerful voice was heard clearly addressing the two boys, but Gamzee didn't say anything and Tavros couldn't see him around Equius's muscled frame. The Scholastic slammed the door shut before he could try to get a good look, and with a twist to his mouth Tavros headed toward Parcel Mistress's car.

John and Dave had already crammed themselves into the backseat, and Vriska had claimed the seat next to John. Tavros climbed into the front seat of the car and pulled his seatbelt on just as Parcel Mistress got in the car.

"Everyone ready?" She asked brightly. "It's time for us to go on an adventure!" She pulled out of her parking space, followed by Ms. Paint and Kurloz. The trio of cars left the school, quickly getting to the freeway heading north.

The first hour flew by quickly; Dave and John fell asleep against each other, the Strider with his arms wrapped around his boyfriend and Egbert using Dave's shoulder as a pillow. Vriska took a couple of pictures on her phone, snickering to herself. After she got bored, Serket leaned against her own window, watching the cars fly by as they drove onward. She tossed an octet die in her hand, the blue flashing every now and then in the rear view mirror.

Tavros was curled up as politely as he could be in the front seat, re-reading The Grapes of Wrath again. His eyes raced over the pages, reading about the Joads and their journey. He filed away any information that might be useful for later on, yawning every once in a while.

Around twelve, after about four hours of driving, they pulled over into an In-n-Out; everyone piled out of their respective cars, swarming towards the doors. Karkat shoved Eridan into Sollux, only to be pushed to the side by Equius. Dave and John waited impatiently for a few moments before trying to shove their way in as well. Nepeta and Feferi decided to wait; they were standing by an outside table instead, talking and giggling together while they waited for the boys to sort themselves out.

Tavros frowned, turning to the side where the adults had gathered by Kurloz's car. He could barely see Gamzee through the tinted windows, slouching down against his seat. Tavros watched as Kurloz placed his hands over Meulin's, pulling out a notebook and scribbling something down. He handed the note to Parcel Mistress, along with some money, which the coach handled reluctantly with a smile.

Tavros had just made up his mind to go over to the car and see if he could talk to Gamzee when an arm clenched tightly around his neck.

"Soooooooo, Tavros!" Vriska lead him away from the group easily, turning him away from the cars completely. Tavros struggled a bit before remembering he could never win against Vriska anyway; he let her lead him past Feferi and Nepeta to the side of the fast food restaurant.

"Did you, uh, want something?" Tavros asked Serket; he felt a bit annoyed, because he wanted to try and talk to Gamzee, he wanted to get food, and Vriska was getting in the way of both. She grinned at him with shark teeth, leaning against the wall casually.

"Straight to the point, that's new." The Scholastic took a deep breath and before Tavros could say anything else, she said, "Go on a date with me."

The breath left Nitram completely and he could only gape at her, mouth dropped in shock. The longer he was silent, the more a flush crawled onto Vriska's face. She shifted a bit uncharacteristicslly, gritting her teeth and glaring at him darkly.

Why did she ask him out? Tavros felt suspicion crawl into his stomach, which put him on edge and made him defensive. Vriska had a talent for finding people's weak spots and manipulating them to her own advantage; it didn't surprise him that she had figured out that he'd, somewhat masochistically, had a crush on her. If she even knew about it from the beginning and was barely using it against him now, that wouldn't faze him either.

What surprised him more than her sense of timing, because she could have picked a much better time than on the way up to Sate, was the fact that whatever crush he had on her was gone. It was a strange thing, to have something to use against Vriska that she didn't know, and Tavros couldn't stop the frown on his face.

"Why?" He asked instead. Vriska frowned a bit, but he pushed on. "You don't, uh, like me much. And, I mean, I think, I'm pretty sure that, uh, you picked on me for that. But, why now?"

"I thought it would be a good luck thing." Vriska tossed her hair over her shoulder and smirked again. "God knows we need all the luck we can get. Since practically everyone else is partnered up, I figured it couldn't hurt to combine my luck with yours."

"What if..." Tavros almost couldn't believe he was saying what he was about to say, but it was out of his mouth before he could think. "What if I don't want to, uh, combine my luck with, with yours?" Vriska scoffed in disbelief and turned her head to the side, but Tavros refused to let himself be pushed around by her anymore. "What if, combining our, uh, luck..." He trailed off and shook his head. "No, Vriska, I don't want to, uh, go on a date with you."

"Well why not?" Vriska asked, an affronted look on her face. She looked and sounded weird, trying to keep a scowl on her face and sound sure of herself when she wasn't. It made Tavros feel a bit bad for her, but he stood his ground against her for the first time in his life.

"I don't actually like you." The Varsity winced at the blunt way he said it, nearly tripping over himself as he continued, "at, um, well, I mean, not that way?" Vriska glared and Tavros squeaked. "I did, obviously, at some point, but I don't now. I'm so- - -"

Vriska cut off his apology by slapping Tavros's cheek, hard. He let out a cry of pain at the sudden sting, which was made worse when her nails caught in his cheek and Serket scratched him at the same time. Nitram stumbled to the side, but the Scholastic caught him by his collar and pulled him toward her; she planted her lips on his in a bruising kiss, her fingers clenched tightly into the collar of his shirt.

It was nothing like either of Gamzee's kisses; the Makara had been gentle and kind, even if the last one had been a bit desperate, and though it made Tavros panic, he felt safe. He panicked because he'd never thought of his best friend that way, and when it was suddenly in front of him, he hadn't known what to do. So he'd said the wrong things and done the wrong thing, and now he was missing the familiarity that was Gamzee hanging around with him and helping him.

But Vriska; Vriska bit and nipped and forced her mouth against his, her kiss as violent and explosive as her personality. She pulled away briefly to take a breath before yanking the Varsity back to her and knocking their teeth together painfully. Tavros tried in vain to pry her hands off and push her away, but she wouldn't listen to him. Instead, she shoved her tongue into his mouth and in a fit of panic, Tavros bit down hard.

Vriska pulled away with a pained cry, and Tavros stumbled back until she released his collar. They stared at each other, panting and flushed, until Tavros reached up and wiped his mouth on his arm. He could taste Vriska in his mouth, and he made a face because of it; Tavros dropped his arm and shoved his hands in his pockets instead, looking away toward the parking lot of In-N-Out.

"I said no." Tavros informed her quietly. "And not just to, um, the date. I don't like you, Vriska, not that way. And you, you need to respect that. Please." Vriska didn't say anything, just stared at him with wide blue eyes and a dropped jaw. The Nitram sighed and started walking towards the doors to In-N-Out, where his teammates seeme to have gotten themselves together enough to get inside and order; Parcel Mistress was taking food out to Kurloz, Meulin, and Gamzee, passing Tavros on his way in. Equius was standing by the counter with Nepeta hanging off him, both of them waiting for their food. Karkat, Sollux, Eridan and Feferi were sitting down in a booth, already starting on their food. Dave and John seemed to be arguing about what to order, because Dave wanted to eat some lunch and then get doughnuts from the Krispy Kreme next door.

He joined the line and listened to the two of them bicker without hearing them, waiting until they reached some sort of compromise and finished their order.

As he was ordering, Tavros heard Vriska come in behind him. She didn't say anything to him, and the Varsity wasn't sure if he should say anything to her; he waited quietly for his food and started a bit when she sat down next to him to wait for hers.

Lunch passed quickly; Tavros sat with John and Dave, eating while the two boys fought over the merits of pastries. Dave was under the impression that all baked sweets, cakes included, lead to what he called 'heaven on earth'. John, whose father apparently fed him nothing but cakes, was firm in his belief that pastries were pure evil incarnate. They tried to get Tavros in on the discussion, but after his fifth 'mm-hmm' without him paying attention forced Dave to do something drastic and change the subject.

Unfortunately, the next subject happened to be Tavros.

"We saw what happened with the spiderbitch." Dave whispered conspiratorially, ignoring his boyfriend's scolding. It caught Tavros's attention, though, and he felt himself turning bright red.

"What?" He hissed back. Dave gestured to a window at the back of the restaurant.

"The whole of In-N-Out did." He munched on a couple fries. "Gotta say, bro, pretty much everyone was on your side, it was crazy. I mean, people guessed what was going on- - -nobody goes there without a fucking reason, y'know?- - -but when Serket slapped you, whoa." Dave slurped up some soda. "Lemme tell you, man, everybody who wasn't a pussy thought that you let her down too fucking easy."

"Dave..." John covered his face in embarrassment, but the Strider ignored him.

"I'm not gonna lie, though, I did not expect you to turn our resident spiderbitch down." The Scholastic leaned back on his seat and cracked his knuckles. "Fucking awesome for you though. Scale that echeladder, bro!"

"Does everybody else know?" Tavros sank in his seat a bit, glancing around In-N-Out as if that would provide him the answer.

"Probably." John smiled weakly. "I mean, it was pretty public, even if we couldn't hear anything. Though I do think Vriska was out of line, slapping you like that."

"But let's not trouble ourselves too much with this!" Dave finished his food and stared expectantly at John. "Krispy Kreme awaits!"

"I don't want to go to Krispy Kreme!" Egbert whined. "I don't even like doughnuts!"

"Which is complete and utter bullshit." Dave shot back. "Not liking doughnuts is like not liking fucking funnel cake."

"I'll go with you to Krispy Kreme." Tavros interrupted John's rebuttal and stood up; his food was half eaten, but he didn't feel hungry anymore. Dave squinted up at him from behind his shades and stood up, following the Varsity as they left In-N-Out. They walked quietly across the street, entering Krispy Kreme and inhaling the aroma of freshly-made doughnuts.

Feeling a bit excited at seeing the giant window into the kitchen, Tavros barely restrained himself from running over to watch the glaze get poured onto the doughnuts on the conveyor belt. His eyes tracked each doughnut as it went through the process of being fried, then glazed and set aside; he slid along the glass feeling like a little kid until he got to the register and heard Dave.

"...two of those chocolate sprinkles, too. And, hmm, how bout I try that New York cheesecake one? That sounds hella good. Shit, two chocolate bars. No, four- - -two with sprinkles and two without. Fuck yea. And a maple bar." Tavros turned to Dave, who was still bent over the display case. Without even turning, Dave added, "all these are for me, got it? Nobody else wants to come into Krispy Kreme, nobody else gets any fucking doughnuts. Shit's mine, bro. Oh, how bout that one too? That makes my dozen?" The teenager behind the counter sighed heavily and nodded, and Dave pulled out his wallet. "Excellent. Pack it up, bro, we're on a tight fucking schedule here."

"Of course you are." The girl smiled at Tavros brightly, clearly wanting the two out of there. "Anything else?"

"Uh, four doughnuts." Tavros added. "Separate. Um, all chocolate covered. Two sprinkles ones?"

"Coming right up!" The girl rang them both up and handed them their respective doughnut containers.

By the time they wandered back into the In-N-Out parking lot, the other two cars had left and John was waiting outside the car.

"Vriska's sitting in the front now." He informed them as they approached. "I think she's really embarrassed. She didn't want to talk to anyone after she finished eating."

"She'll get over it." Dave waved the mention of Vriska away with his free hand. "We've gotta catch up with the rest of those fuckers. Can't believe they left us behind."

Tavros got in the car quickly, holding the doughnuts carefully in his lap. He avoided glancing at Vriska, ignoring John and Dave as they got into the car as well. He didn't want to read the shorter selections, and he'd finished The Grapes of Wrath when they pulled into In-N-Out.

Just as he was about to resign himself to a boring two more hours when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Biting his lip, Tavros squirmed around until he could get it out.

'whats going down motherfucker' the message read, 'WHY DID YOU ALL UP AND GET LEFT BEHIND'

Gamzee.

Tavros felt a smile break out on his face, which he tried and failed to tamp down. He typed out his own reply- - -'dAVE WANTED kRISPY kREME. wE, uH, sTOPPED OFF AND GOT SOME.' He sent it and tapped his thumb against the screen of his phone. Before Gamzee could reply, he added 'i GOT SOME DOUGHNUTS TOO. i MEAN, lIKE, cHOCOLATE ONES. wITH SPRINKLES.'

'motherfucking awesome' Gamzee's reply came a few minutes later; Tavros tapped the buttons on his phone, trying to find the best way to inform the other boy that he'd bought a couple specifically for the Makara. Before he could type out anything, Gamzee sent another message. 'HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED you ok'

'yOU MEAN WITH vRISKA?'

'FUCK YEA' Tavros chanced a glance at his sole female teammate, who had engrossed herself into the Super quiz study guide, and bit his lip.

'iM FINE.' He answered. 'iT WAS A BIT, wEIRD. bUT I TOLD HER, uH, tHAT i DIDN'T LIKE HER. lIKE THAT, aNYWAY.'

'right' Tavros frowned at the one letter response, wondering if that was the end if it, when Gamzee abruptly changed the subject to the upcoming competition.

For the next two hours, the two boys texted back and forth. Tavros was smiling to himself the entire time, though he noted the new way Gamzee was typing. He debated asking, but decided against it because he was so happy the Makara was talking to him again.

It lasted until they got the the hotel; as they pulled up to the Quality Inn, all the AcaDec kids stared at it through their windows. Parcel Mistress parked by the front office, next to Ms. Paint and Kurloz, though nobody had gotten out yet.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Vriska said flatly.

The Quality Inn had three floors and two buildings; the main office took up most of the ground floor, though there were several rooms behind it. The other building was connected on the second and third floors by bridges. The stairs had gates, which looked like they were locked and needed a key to open, and the bridge and hallways had white bars to match. The paint on the walls of the hotel itself looked worn down but nice, and though it was clean overall, it gave off a slightly weird vibe.

"We're here!" Parcel Mistress announced unnecessarily, turning off the car and stepping out. "I'll go check us in and see about getting everyone to their rooms! Get your stuff ready, guys!"

Tavros got out of the car, following John to the trunk so that they could get their stuff. Vriska glowered at Tavros, making him quail until he managed to yank his suitcase out of the trunk. He dropped it onto the floor, holding onto the handle of his suitcase. Stretching, Tavros listened to his back crack while watching Kurloz's purple car inquisitively while Karkat and Equius got their things.

Just as he made the decision to head over and talk to Gamzee, Parcel Mistress burst out of the front office.

"Ok, guys!" She called out happily. "We've got keys! Here's what we're going to do." The coach handed three room keys to Vriska. "There's only two beds, unfortunately. Would you mind sharing a room with Feferi and Nepeta?"

"Sure, whatever." Vriska took the keys and strode off the Ms. Paint's car, handing a room key to the Peixes just climbing out of the car. Parcel Mistress turned away, handing another key to Tavros.

"Same for you guys, only two beds." She shrugged apologetically. "You'll have to figure it out amongst yourselves. Uh," she flushed a bit when Dave pulled John to him, adding hastily, "You two can't share a room." Tavros frowned, but just as John opened his mouth to protest, she added, "Neither can Sollux and Eridan. You'll just have to figure it out amongst yourselves."

"I'll room with Tavros." John volunteered immediately. Grabbing ahold of the Varsity's arm, Egbert dragged him over to the other car and grabbed Eridan's arm as well. "You can room with us too, ok?"

"All right." Ampora agreed, blinking rapidly in shock and speaking without thinking. The Honors student nodded and dragged both boys over to Parcel Mistress, who was standing by the gate to the stairs waiting for her team to assemble themselves.

"All of the rooms are on the second floor, except for Kurloz and Meulin." She explained as she unlocked the gate. "They're going to be on the third floor, along with Gamzee and Equius. There are four rooms; Ms. Paint and I will share a room. Vriska, Feferi, and Nepeta are going to be sharing a room."

"Eridan, Tavros and I are sharing." John supplied helpfully.

"Which means Karkat, Sollux, and Dave will share a room." Parcel Mistress unlocked the gate and led everyone up to the second floor. She crossed the bridge, the whole team following her, until she reached a room. "John, your room is here. Karkat, your room next to John's. Vriska is on the other side over here, and I have the room over by Karkat's." She smiled at everyone as they gathered by their respective rooms, striding over to her own room with Ms. Paint behind her. "Settle in, everyone, this will be our home base for the next couple of days!"

Tavros dragged his suitcase in while Eridan hung back to talk with Sollux; he and John stared at the two beds for a few silent moments before Egbert turned to Nitram and smiled awkwardly.

"Uh, would you mind sharing a bed with me?" He asked, flushing a dark red. Tavros immediately copied, burying his face in his hands. "Not that- - -!" John spluttered, "I mean, Eridan's going to be a pain to share a bed with, I just know it. The way he is...you just seem like you'd be willing..." John slapped his forehead. "Crap."

"No, it's fine..." Tavros muttered. "I'll sh-share with you. Um, that would probably, uh, be best. Maybe."

"Right." John threw his suitcase by the head of the bed, sitting down and pulling his resource material out. Tavros did the same on the opposite side of the bed; with a small sigh, he pulled out his book and started it again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day one of State Competitions

Saturday March 19

Tavros woke up early, around six in the morning, to Eridan's alarm clock going off. For the fourth time in the last hour. Tavros curled up in on himself, feeling the bed shift as John copied his movements. After a few more seconds of hearing the alarm, Eridan finally reached over and shut it off. Tavros waited for a few minutes, but when the other boy made no other movements, he decided against trying to sleep any more. They had to meet at the university by eight anyway, so said Parcel Mistress, and Tavros wasn't sure how long it would take either one of his roommates to get ready for the day. With a groan, he sat up slowly, ignoring John as the boy muttered angrily and buried his head underneath his pillow. Eridan sat up as well, rubbing his face sleepily.

Without even looking at his roomates, Ampora stumbled into the bathroom and closed the door. Tavros heard the shower start up and as he dug through his own suitcase for his shampoo and body wash, he heard as Eridan fell over in the shower, banging against the wall with a loud curse. Someone- - -probably Vriska- - -banged on the wall in retaliation. John startled up at the noise, crying out in surprise and kicking Tavros's side.

"I'm sorry!" The Honors student gasped, scrambling forward to check on the Varsity. Tavros waved him off, clutching at his side with his other hand and trying to catch his breath. There was a quick burst of pain where John kicked him, but it didn't hurt as badly as it could have. He smiled weakly at Egbert, reassuring him yet again as the other boy moved to his own suitcase on the other side of the bed.

They listened as Eridan got out of the shower, leaning into the room to glare at his roommates.

"Shower's free." He told them curtly before disappearing back into the bathroom. Tavros and John looked at each other over the rumpled bedding before holding out their hands; three rounds of rock-paper-scissors later, Tavros pushed past Eridan styling his hair to get into the shower. For some reason, the Ampora had left it on; all Tavros had to do was adjust it so that it was much warmer and jump in.

He very quickly washed his hair and his body, mindful of the fact that John also needed to use the shower and that they had Speech and Interview today. He left the towel hanging on the rack alone; he'd brought his own curtesy of Rufio's insistance, and Nitram wasn't sure if Egbert was going to also need the hotel towels. He got out of the shower, rubbing the excess water out of his hair and wrapping it firmly around his waist.

John headed into the bathroom when Tavros came out in his towel and started digging through his suitcase. Pulling out a white button-up and some dress slacks, the Nitram slipped into a pair of boxers and stepped into his pants, mindful of his damp hair. Eridan politely waited until the Varsity was partly dressed before heading outside, pulling the door wide open and sending a blast of cold air into the room. He didn't shut the door behind him, so Tavros heard as Ampora went to the next room and knocked on the door. Dave's grumbling could be heard again as he pulled open the door just enough to let the Honors student in.

Now shivering violently, Tavros pulled his shirt on and headed back to the bathroom with the intention of styling his hair. On the other side of the wall, he could hear as the boys in the other room were getting ready; Dave was still grumbling, just loud enough to be heard through the walls, but Eridan had to go in and forcefully wake Sollux up. Karkat, who sounded like he was sharing a bed with Captor, was also just waking up.

Tavros smiled to himself as curses broke the silence of the rooms, biting his lip to stifle his laugh when John stumbled out of the bathroom with his towel held up around his waist. Egbert looked confused and still half-asleep, his eyes blinking and unfocused without his glasses.

Dave burst into the room then, his hair un-styled and crimson eyes flaring. He picked up Tavros and spun him around a couple of times before tossing him aside on the bed and striding over to his boyfriend.

And Tavros scrambled into his shoes, hightailing it out of his own room before the situation got any more awkward.

He ruffled his hair, trying to keep it out of his eyes since he didn't have a chance to style it, and glanced into the parking lot; his heart sank a bit when he noticed Kurloz's car already gone. His suspicions of Gamzee being gone already was confirmed when Karkat slammed into the rail, hair wild and still in his pajamas.

"God _fucking_ dammit!" He snapped irritably, running his hands through his hair. Tavros made an agreeable noise, but Karkat shot him a dark glower. "The fuck you looking at, Nitram? You all ready?"

"Ye-es..." Tavros trailed off defensively. Karkat snorted and turned to go back into his room.

"Better get your hair out of your fucking face or the judges are gonna be pissed." Tavros flushed and pawed at his hair in embarrassment.

"Oh, but Tavros looks SO CUTE with his hair floppy like this!" Feferi giggled and hugged Tavros from behind; she looked like she was ready to present her own speech instead of just being there for moral support. She had on a black tank top with a fuschia Peices sign, with an open black sweater over it, and a blue-and-green colored skirt that dragged a little bit on the floor behind her. The only thing that threw off her AcaDec student look were her goggles, which she had put over her eyes. "Aren't you just so EXCITED, Tavros?"

"I'd, uh, be more excited if, if I didn't have to, um, go through this again." He told her honestly. Feferi giggled as if he had told the world's funniest joke and hugged him a little bit tighter before turning around and catching Eridan before he scared her.

Several moments later found him squashed in the back seat of Parcel Mistress's car again, pressed against the window by Karkat. On his other side was John and Dave, with Vriska sitting in the front seat and glaring out of the window. Karkat was fuming because he'd overslept; Kurloz, Meulin, Gamzee, and Nepeta had all left by the time he was ready to leave, meaning he had to ride with the rest of his team or risk being left behind. Ms. Paint had Feferi, Sollux, Eridan, and Equius in her car already and didn't want to risk adding another person to her car; Parcel Mistress didn't mind and told the team leader to sit wherever he wanted.

It was only a few minutes to the college that was hosting the Speech and Interview sections, thankfully, so Tavros didn't have to deal with Karkat breathing down his neck for too long. When they parked, Parcel Mistress got out and gathered everyone around her.

"Ok, guys, so yesterday there was a meeting for all the coaches." She said, counting heads to make sure she had eight of her nine. "I've got your times for Speeches and Interviews, as well as where you're going to be seated during the testing period." Parcel Mistress checked the time. "Well, we still have quite some time until the first of us has to go." She began passing them out; Tavros checked his as soon as he got it, reading the time and buildings for both quickly.

Tavros  
Nitram  
Test room: YW1 - Seat: 29  
Speech: I-18 - Speech Time: 10:35AM  
Interview: S-18 - Interview Time: 10:55AM

Then, because he was cold and still had time, he sat down on a bench. As soon as he sat down, Nepeta jumped into the spot next to him, placing her head in his lap and laying across the bench. She stayed situated like that until Equius came and sat down beside her, picking up her legs and placing them in his lap. Tavros smiled at Nepeta where she was curled around him for warmth. Her head was in his lap, her arms somehow wrapped around his waist. Equius was on her other side, biting his lip and sweating profusely with nerves. Meulin sat on Tavros's other side, running her fingers soothingly through Nepeta's hair and allowing her to sleep. About two feet away, Eridan, Feferi, and Sollux were huddled in a group; Sollux had his arms wrapped tightly around Eridan's waist, Feferi pressed tightly against Eridan's side. Tavros had heard her reject being hugged because she didn't want to wrinkle Eridan's clothes. Sollux didn't seem to care, hugging his boyfriend a bit tighter to himself.

John and Dave were snuggled together as well, the two of them watching Vriska as she paced back and forth. Even Tavros could hear her muttering, practicing her speech and snapping whenever someone interrupted her. Karkat was pacing as well, but his pacing seemed to be doing rounds to make sure everyone was all right and worrying his hands together because Gamzee wasn't there with them; time was passing by much more quickly than they anticipated and the Honors student seemed to be taking his time to show up. Soon, they only had a few minutes to go until they had to disperse to their rooms.

"Yo, motherfuckers." Everyone looked up, Karkat muttering something that sounded like 'fucking finally', only to stop in confusion and surprise.

Gamzee looked like hell. His hair was messy, though it was pulled down into a low ponytail that looked fairly good on him. His clothes were askew on his body, and he was leaning heavily on Kurloz like he needed the support of his older brother to stay upright. He was shaking slightly, his face paint strangely vacant, which showed off some of the bruises and small cuts that littered his face. His eyes were sunken in and tired looking with dark bags underneath, but they were focused and sharp. The clothes he was wearing- - -a black button down shirt, purple tie, black slacks and indigo sneakers- - -were just a little askew. Kurloz was trying to straighten his younger brother's clothes, though he was having some issues considering Gamzee was using him as a walking stick.

And Gamzee was sober.

"About fucking time!" Karkat snapped. He marched up to the Makara brothers and thrust Gamzee's identification badge at him. He either didn't care or was purposefully ignoring Gamzee's appearance, because he didn't say a single word to him about it. "We all have to find out where the hell we're headed. Everyone, fucking group up if you're headed to the same general ass area and find your damn room. Stay there til you finish, then go to your next assignment. We'll meet up here when we're all finished."

Meulin smiled and tugged at her daughter's hair, waking Nepeta. The girl rubbed her eyes, muttered something at Tavros and Equius for luck, and then climbed over Tavros to curl around her mother. Equius let out a short breath and stood, striding forward towards one of the buildings without waiting. John and Dave kissed quickly, then John was running after Equius to catch up with him.

Dave appeared suddenly beside Tavros, picking up his identification card and looking it over before flash stepping away without a word. Vriska followed his example, though her movements are considerably slower and more obvious. As she read the building name and number, a relieved smile broke over her face that she tried to hide with a scowl.

"Same building, then." She informed Tavros frigidly. Her blue eyes were sharp and cutting on him, broadcasting her displeasure at having to walk with him. Tavros's cheek throbbed where she'd scratched him in phantom pain, and he took a subtle step back just in case. "We can walk together."

"Where are all you motherfuckers headed?" Gamzee's deep voice sounded from behind them. Tavros jumped as he whirled around, staring up at the younger Makara brother in a barely concealed horror. Gamzee didn't spare him a glance though, looking at Vriska instead.

"I building." She said quietly; even she realized the meaning behind Gamzee being sober, and that now was not the moment to antagonize him like she usually did. Tavros prayed quietly, silently begging Vriska to leave her answer at that. "I'm in room 6, Tavros is in room 18." His shoulders dropped, and he chanced another glance at Gamzee. Makara nodded once, his brows furrowed darkly as the information sank in.

"Let's motherfucking _go_ then." They walked together in silence until they got to the building. Tavros felt a spike of fear rush through him when Vriska stopped at room 6, staring at the door with her wide blue eyes.

"You, uh, you gonna be ok?" Tavros asked her quietly. She jumped, as if she'd forgotten Tavros and Gamzee were with her, but flashed the small Nitram a wide smile. It was supposed to be her normal, cocky smile, and for the most part it was; but it kept faltering as nerves set in. Her electric blue eyes were alight with passion and excitement, though her body was shaking minutely.

"I'll be fine!" She exclaimed with a loud, forceful laugh. It attracted the attention of the four students around her, but she brushed them off with a toss of her head. Vriska punched Tavros's arm softly, barely a tap on his shoulder instead of her usual bruise-inducing one due to the looming Makara behind him. She seemed to have forgotten about his rejection the day before, focused completely as she was on her upcoming Speech. "Worry about yourself, weakling. Good luck!"

Tavros smiled shakily and nodded before turning and looking up at Gamzee.

"Ah..." His voice trailed off and got lost when he realized that Gamzee was watching their interaction closely. Swallowing nervously, Tavros checked the time on his identification card and felt a sinking feeling in his gut; his speech was to be given in another five minutes, meaning he couldn't stay with Vriska for safety.

The Scholastic seemed to have forgotten her teammates were even with her; she'd gone back to pacing, though she was no longer reciting her speech out loud. Her gaze was focused on the tiled floor beneath her, her hands making the jerky, aborted movements that went along with her speech.

Tavros snapped back to attention when Gamzee's slender fingers pressed lightly against his face. It was such a common, familiar gesture of Gamzee that it brought a dark flush to Tavros's face. He jumped, prying his eyes away from Serket and turning to stare at Gamzee with wide, accusing eyes. When Gamzee met his gaze with clear eyes, Tavros scooted back and put a clear boundary of space between them.

Both Gamzee's gaze and hand fell, his hand burrowing into his pocket and his eyes wandering the room.

"What time?" He asked.

"F-Five, uh, five minutes." Tavros replied after a moment, his brain rushing to catch up with what was going on. He checked his time card again just to be sure; the Speech time was listed at 10:35, Interview right after it at 10:55. Gamzee nodded once and turned sharply.

"This way, motherfucker." Uncertain, Tavros glanced once more at Vriska before miserably following Gamzee down the hall. They walked in silence as the rooms passed, a varying amount of students milling around each door.

"What, uh..." Tavros started quietly, feeling awkward. He'd been able to text Gamzee just fine, but standing in the presence of the Honors student was nerve-wracking; he was tall and so much more than Tavros remembered. His face looked sharper without the makeup, but it didn't look bad. The makeup softened his face, but the lack of it showed how focused Gamzee was. His eyes were a bit darker than Tavros was used to, but the sight of them focused on him made his heart race.

"My shit's at eleven." Gamzee guessed easily what Tavros was asking him, hands in his pockets as he strolled easily with the Varsity by his side. "Interview. Then Speech."

"I bought you a doughnut yesterday!" Tavros blurted out as they came to a stop. The student walking into the room shot them a weird look, but they were sent scampering when Gamzee leveled them with a dark look. It cleared up when he dropped his gaze back to Tavros, who flushed several shades and took a shaky breath. "I-I mean, um..."

" _Shoosh_ , motherfucker." Gamzee grumbled; a pleased smile overtook his face, and he ducked his head a bit. He freed his hand so that it could run through his hair, pulling the hair tie at the nape of his neck loose. Without thinking, Tavros reached up and pulled the brown tie all the way out of Gamzee's dark hair, freeing it so that it fell around his face like it normally did. The Honors student stared at him with wide eyes as Nitram ran his fingers through the dark strands, mussing it up to his satisfaction.

Then, when he realized what he was doing, Tavros yanked his hands back as if he'd been scalded.

"Oh my god." He gasped, turning away from a confused-looking Gamzee. The Varsity could feel his breath catching in his lungs, and he pushed his hands through his mowhawk in irritation. "I can't...oh, oh, I can't do this!" Tavros wailed quietly, feeling his breath come in panicky little gasps. His chest started getting tight, and his quick gasps were beginning to make him feel lightheaded. He'd touched his best friend in a more-than-friends way. His speeches were coming up, but the words for his rehearsed speech were already slipping from his mind, because the other boy's hair was soft and his skin warm; Tavros wanted to run his fingers through it again but he only had a few minutes until his speech and he was hyperventilating too much to even say his name properly, let alone his speech. Gamzee was trying to say something to him, calm him down the way he did for Regionals, but Tavros couldn't hear him over the rush of blood in his ears. All he could think of was stepping into the room and freezing, touching Gamzee's hair and feeling how soft it was, forgetting the speech he'd rehearsed so many times before. Already the words were slipping away, his body was trembling with nervous energy and the urge to run his fingers through Gamzee's hair. He wasn't aware of what he was saying, but he was dimly aware of the fact that his mouth was moving.

Gamzee's hand was surprisingly hard against Tavros's cheek. The sudden slap stung, bringing Tavros's unconscious rant to a sudden halt from shock. Gamzee hated any violence against Tavros; he'd never raised his hand against him and Makara would protect him from anyone who would, even Vriska. Hurt welled up in Tavros, because he couldn't imagine a moment where Gamzee would resort to hitting him before now. The Varsity student gaped up at the Honors with wide eyes, his hand resting gently on his slightly smarting cheek. Gamzee's gaze was dark and smoldering and fierce, but stern.

As soon as Tavros stopped talking, Gamzee reached out again and took his hand away from his cheek, checking the damaged area with assessing eyes. The indigo tinted eyes studied him intently, though Gamzee seemed to find what he was looking for; his body relaxed, his shoulders slumping slightly. He reached out again, ignoring Tavros's anticipatory wince, and brushed his fingertips gently across the still-smarting area.

"For coming _so motherfucking far_ ," he snarled quietly after a beat of silence, "you sure are _motherfucking insecure_." Tavros tried to pull away, but Gamzee wouldn't let him this time. His fingers caught Tavros's chin and jerked his head slightly so that he was forced to keep eye contact with the much taller student.

"Uh..."

"You _ain't_ the same motherfucking _Taros Nitram_." Gamzee asserted firmly, his voice raising and lowering randomly in volume and attracting the attention of the few students waiting for their turn. Tavros's eyes widened in shock; he'd never heard his full name from Gamzee's mouth before. Gamzee didn't seem to notice, his words rushing together in order to all be heard. "You've motherfucking _changed_. A _brand-new_ motherfucker with _bitchtits awesome_ confidence."

"N-No, I- - -"

"You've gained _miraculous friends_. You've even managed to turn the _spiderbitch_ down with nothing more than a _simple scratch_ to show for it." His finger traced the line where Vriska's nail skinned his cheek, gentle and making Tavros shudder in anticipation. A quiet whine left his throat, making the Honors student smile softly for a brief moment. Then Gamzee stopped, hesitating for just a second, but continued without a hitch in his voice. "You were _motherfucking terrified_ of me, and you still fucking managed to _speak your goddamned mind_." Tavros grimaced at the reminder of how he treated his best friend, clenching his jaw as shame and guilt welled up in his stomach.

"Gamzee, I- - -"

"You can _fucking_ do this, bro." Gamzee interrupted, stressing the six words darkly, and Tavros felt something shudder down his spine. It terrified him, the anticipation he was feeling and the warmth pooling in his chest and stomach, but at the same time he could feel his confidence coming back in increments. Gamzee ducked his head so that Tavros wasn't craning his head back, meeting his gaze with a serious look. His hand remained on Tavros's face, grounding and gentle at the same time. "You _can_ do this, despite whatever _unmiraculous thoughts_ you keep getting in your _motherfucking think pan_. And I'll be _motherfucking damned_ if you throw it all the _fuck_ away now."

"Gamzee..." Tavros whispered softly; just as an uncertain smile crossed his face, he was called into the room. Breath catching briefly in his throat, he looked to the Makara for support; Gamzee gave it to him in the form of a gentle squeeze of his hand against his face and a chaste kiss to his cheek.

"Knock em _dead_ , bro." Tavros nodded once and stepped into the room, his nerves steady.

Still, he recited both speeches in a daze; his hands were warm where they had run through Gamzee's hair, and he still felt the gentle press of Gamzee's lips against his cheek.

He walked to his interview room mechanically. Gamzee had gone to his Interview while Tavros was doing his Speech, so the Nitram didn't have the Makara wishing him luck for his Interview. He walked down the hall and up the stairs, going up to the third floor and passing Eridan as he did so.

"Hey, Tav." Eridan stopped on the stairs, making Tavros stop too as he was greeted. They moved out of the way of the other students, leaning against the railing of the stairs. Before Tavros could say anything in greeting, Eridan whispered, "how hard are the topics for the Impromptus?"

"The ones I got..." Tavros winced a bit, and Eridan mimicked the movement. His face fell, and he muttered something under his breath as he pushed away from the wall and walked gracefully down the stars. Tavros watched him go for a few seconds before something pressed itself gently against his head.

Whipping around, the Varsity saw Aradia leaning over the banister of the stairs, pressing her fingers against his scalp.

"Hey, Tavros!" She called, just as he shouted "Aradia!" The Megido jumped down the stairs at the same time Tavros hurried up the last couple of steps. They met on the landing between stairs, hugging each other tightly.

"Ok," the other Varsity laughed as she pulled away, "what we need to do is exchange Trollian handles, because this is ridiculous. I haven't seen you since Reginals!"

"I know!" Tavros pulled away and smiled widely at her. "How've you, uh, been, Aradia?"

"Missing my fellow FLARPer, that's how!" The Megido giggled. "Honestly, how are we gonna pull off a winning FLARPing team over summer if we never talk to each other?" She seemed to remember where they were and pulled on Tavros's arm, making him go up the stairs with her. "You here for your interview?" Tavros nodded, which Aradia mimicked. "Yea, me too. My speeches are later on. God, I'm nervous! Are you?"

"Uh, kind of." Tavros smiled sheepishly. "It's, it's a bit different, being here. At State, I mean, uh, not in competition." He flushed a bit and hastened to add, "not that, um, competition isn't...I meant..."

"I know what you meant, Tavros." Aradia laughed and gestured for him to follow her. As they walked down the hallway, she said, "nothing's more stressful than competition. But don't worry!" Tavros stopped walking outside of his room. Aradia stopped as well, shooting him a questioning look. When he nodded, she copied his action and kept talking. "You'll be awesome! Just remember to smile!" The Prospitian Varsity checked her watch- - -a thin silver band on her wrist- - -and sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Oh, crap. Gotta run. Good luck!" She waved and took off down the hallway, her hair flying behind her.

Just as she left Tavros outside his interview room, the door opened and Spades, the team leader from the Midnight Crew, swaggered out of the room. He passed by Tavros, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and sticking the unlit cancer stick in his mouth. A shiver ran down the Nitram's spine as he realized it was his turn, and with a deep breath he walked into the room.

The Interview flew by Tavros in the same daze the Speech did. He barely paid attention to the questions he was being asked, wondering instead how a five minute trip to a bathroom during Reginals lead to the reaction Aradia had for him just a few moments ago.

She was pretty, he thought to himself as the Interview ended and he was saying goodbye to the judges. His thoughts continued as he walked to the meeting spot for his team; bright and vibrant and happy, that was Aradia. The formal attire the Prospitian teen was wearing made her look beautiful and professional, more so than when she was at Reginals. Aradia even managed to tame her hair back a bit more with a braid and dark rust colored headband. She looked much better with a smile on her face than tears in her eyes, and she was a fellow FLARPer.

But she was Sollux's first something, even if she wasn't now, and Tavros got this weird twist in his stomach when he thought about taking her on something even resembling a date. It felt like guilt, like he was cheating on someone, and while he didn't mind having Aradia as a friend, there was no way Tavros would ever consider her for that special something more.

His mind was in shambles while he waited for the rest of his team to finish up; Tavros was curled in on himself on the same bench he'd sat on that morning as he thought on his feelings, trying to untangle them enough for him to understand. He barely noticed Karkat and Eridan come back, didn't acknowledge Dave and Vriska at all, nodded at Sollux and John when they plopped down next to him.

He noticed acutely when Gamzee and Equius didn't show up again, feeling his spirits sink while Karkat fumed at being left behind yet again. Tavros barely noticed the drive back to the hotel, his mind such a swirling mess that he didn't hear the conversations around him. He followed John and Dave to the room, glancing up at Gamzee's floor when Karkat stomped up the stairs to start banging on the door.

He picked up his book and buried his nose in it, staring hard at the pages before him. He got halfway through the book while the rest of his team seemed to relax. Tavros ignored John and Dave while they were in the room, then Eridan as the Honors student came back into his room and Dave went back to his. While Tavros absently finished re-reading _The Grapes of Wrath_ , his mind reviewed the mini panic attack he'd had before his speech and the reaction he had to Gamzee.

Until, that is, the yelling started.

' _Stay in your rooms, please. Don't leave them for anything. I'm going to go see what's going on._ '

Parcel Mistress's text had come around nine, just after the loud commotion started from the first floor. It was faint, and easily ignorable to the boys studying in the rooms. Eridan, John, and Tavros were in their room studying for their tests in the morning; they could hear Dave in the room next to them, rapping loudly and Sollux, who was somehow ignoring the Strider.

The silence that had engulfed the boys was broken by the same loud laughing and shouting; only this time, it was right outside their room and therefore, much louder than it had been. Jumping up in surprise, John was the one who went to the door to see what was going on. He decided against opening it, trying to peer through the keyhole to find out who was making the noise. Tavros looked at Eridan, then vaulted over their shared bed to the window; he was trying to figure out how to peer through the blinds without making it obvious that they were watching when all three of their phones vibrated at once. The boys all jumped, Tavros and John scrambling over each other to get to their phones.

That was when Parcel Mistress's text had come in, informing them all that there was a group of drunks that booked a couple of rooms on their floor and to stay in their rooms at all costs; it was a big group apparently, and more than one of them sounded violent.

All three boys simultaneously agreed that obeying their coach was the best idea; they had settled in to continue studying when something crashed into the floor in the room above them.

When it continued, Eridan was the one to stand up and check the hallways. He pulled open the door, glancing down both ways and pronouncing it clear of any drunkards. After a few minutes, the loud pounding from the room above them began to terrify Tavros, John, and Eridan; it was made worse when they remembered that Gamzee, Meulin, and Kurloz had the room above them. The three boys stared in horror at their ceiling, wondering what Gamzee and Kurloz were doing to each other. A particularly loud crash and a muffled curse broke Tavros's frozen stupor, and he finally scrambled onto shaky legs to run to the door.

He threw it open and, ignoring Dave and Sollux coming out of their own room asking questions, bolted towards the stars. Taking them two at a time, the other boys at his heels, Tavros prepared to pound on the Makara's door demanding answers.

What he had not expected, unfortunately, was the sight of Karkat and Equius leaning against the wall on either side of the door. The much shorter Vantas was sitting on the floor, his eyes scanning over the stapled papers before him. The Grapes of Wrath lay beside him within easy reach, and his iPod was on top of the book, the headphones connecting Karkat to the music. He seemed immersed in his study, but his scowl deepened when he glanced up and saw Tavros. Equius was standing, though his dark glasses made it impossible to see where he was looking; he had a packet of papers in one hand as well, using his finger to follow along the words as he read; a white wire connected him to his own music player, kept safely in his pocket. Their silence was interrupted only by the loud crashing that sounded from the room behind them.

"Um..." Tavros mumbled suddenly, feeling crimson sneak up his face and paint his cheeks. Karkat raised an eyebrow, sniffing disdainfully before pulling the headphone out of his ear. Ella Fitzgerald sang out from the freed ear piece, loud and clear despite the distance.

"What the fuck do you morons want?" He snapped loudly. Tavros opened his mouth, but his words faltered under Karkat's fierce glare. He shrank back a bit, his back hitting- - -Tavros chanced a quick look- - -Strider's chest.

"KK, what the hell'th going on?" Sollux's lisp came over Tavros's head, asking what they all wanted to know.

"None of your damn business, that's what, asshole." The short boy snapped back, though he winced when a particularly loud crash hit the door between him and Equius. "Just get back to your fucking studying and back the hell off."

"W-Well, um, we're all, uh, worried about Gamzee and..." Tavros felt his confidence slip away when everyone looked at him, and he bit his lip with a quiet whimper.

Karkat opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the particularly loud sound of a body hitting the door. The wood creaked, and he scrambled to his feet in a slight panic, though Equius merely tilted his head in the direction of the door. Karkat whirled around to stare at the door, eyes wide in shock.

"- - -OUT!" Gamzee's voice, rough and deep, broke on the only word able to be heard through the door. They all jumped, Equius included.

"GAMZEE, CALM- - -" Nepeta cut herself off with a choked sound, though it was followed by something hitting the floor, hard. Gamzee let out an enraged yell, but the silence that followed was strangely unnerving. Equius had changed positions, his body tensed and ready to rush to Nepeta's aid if she needed it.

Meulin came stumbling out, slamming the door behind her. Her long hair was tangled, and she was flushed darkly. She looked up and realized the entirety of the male population of Alternia's AcaDec team was in the hallway staring at her. Smiling slightly, she straightened her shirt a bit and tossed her hair over her shoulder. With a determined air, Meulin motioned for Karkat to come closer to her. When he obliged, she grabbed a hold of his arm and signed quickly, her hand flowing through the spelling of the words fluidly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa- - -slow the fuck down!" He caught a hold of her free hand, and Meulin shot him an offended look. Karkat released her quickly, and Meulin took a deep breath before signing again, slower this time.

Karkat glowered but dropped his things, following Nepeta's mother back into the room without question. Equius hesitated, unsure of whether or not he was allowed in as well, but wanting to check on the younger Leijon. Meulin placed her hand on his arm, smiling up at him reassuringly as she close the door quietly behind her and Karkat.

Equius leaned against the wall again, sliding down until he mimicked Karkat. Tavros hesitated briefly, but moved forward and sat by his much bigger teammate. John pulled Dave to join them, and Eridan and Sollux gave up and sat down too. They crowded the wall around Equius, who seemed to relax a bit under their presence.

"You should all return to your rooms." He said stiffly. His tone of voice, Tavros noted, was laced with worry and reluctance; Equius was telling them they weren't needed around him, but not that they weren't wanted there. "It's very late and I can handle things here."

"Yea, but you should at least have us all here for support." Tavros smiled at Equius's relaxing shoulders. "Even if it is late. We'll all need to head to sleep soon enough anyway."

Nepeta burst out of the room, startling everyone for a brief second before her eyes landed on Tavros. She grabbed his arm tightly and yanked him into her parent's room without saying anything to anyone else, slamming the door shut behind the two of them.

Tavros was utterly confused about what was going on. The room was in complete disarray; the cabinet that held the television seemed to be the only thing undisturbed. Clothes were strewn around the room, the door to the bathroom looked a bit off, the blankets were thrown around the room. The light was bright and blinding, but only because the lampshade had been knocked off the light bulb.

Kurloz, Karkat, and Gamzee were struggling with each other on the other bed by the bathroom. Kurloz had one of his brother's arms pinned down, Karkat fighting to pull the other down. Gamzee threw his best frien off easily, and Karkat stumbled back before launching himself forward again. He landed on Gamzee, making the taller boy grunt in surprise and slamming his side into Kurloz.

Nepeta pushed him forward encouragingly, stepping around them to go tug on the handle to the bathroom.

"Gamzee?" Tavros asked quietly, sitting behind Kurloz and placing his hand gently on Gamzee's leg. The elder Makara shot him a look, but Tavros's voice helped more than their fighting. The Honors student slowly stopped fighting with Karkat, his indigo eyes scanning the ceiling as he frowned.

"Tav...?" He asked quietly, voice rough.

"Yea, Gamz." The Varsity replied softly. Instinctively, his fingers began rubbing small circles on the surface beneath them. Gamzee grimaced and turned his face towards Karkat. Tavros caught his expression; it looked torn between furious and embarrassed, but he wasn't fighting his brother or Karkat anymore. Tavros counted it as a win, and decided to try to get some answers from his friend while he was in the room. The room was enveloped in silence, broken only by Gamzee's heavy breathing and Nepeta cleanin the room a little while Meulin quietly opened the bathroom door. "Why are you fighting with Kurloz and Karkat?"

No answer.

"Where have you been?" He tried again. Gamzee twitched, his fingers tapping on the bed silently. The Varsity squeezed his leg, glancing around for the Makara's pill bottle. Confusion flitted across his face when he couldn't see it anywhere in the mess around the room, and he spoke without thinking. "Gamzee, what's wrong?" Tavros asked. "Why don't you take your pills or something?"

"Nah, bro." Gamzee growled, voice just audible over Karkat's hissed warning. "That shit _ain't good for ya_ , dontcha know?" Tavros felt something that felt like guilt jolt through his chest, and without thinking, his hand reached up and touched the side of Gamzee's face. The Honors student followed his quiet instruction to look at him, though he gazed off in the distance for a few seconds before his eyes met Tavros's.

"I'm so sorry, Gamzee." He said softly, rubbing the Makara's cheek.

"Nah bro. You were _motherfucking right_. It's all up and _screwed with my think pan_ and shit." The Makara nuzzled into Tavros's hand for a bit. "Do me a favor though."

"What's that?" Tavros asked.

"Go on a _motherfucking date_ with me." Tavros felt his heart stop; Gamzee either didn't notice the Varsity tense up, or chose to talk past it to get the Nitram to hear him out. "Even if it's just fucking one."

Tavros's heart raced as he thought about it; going on a date with the Honors student. His eyes widened and he unconsciously clenched down on Gamzee's leg hard.

Would he be a good date? Tavros wondered in the back of his mind. Everything seemed to have stopped, and it was all he could think of. Would Gamzee be a good date? They were already good friends, and they had fun when they hung out together. But going on a date? That would be a giant leap from just hanging out.

Wouldn't it?

"Hey, motherfucker." Gamzee coughed and Tavros came back to the present, staring down with wide brown eyes into lidded lucid indigo ones. Gamzee licked his lips and continued. "How bout a _motherfucking deal_ , bro?"

"A...a deal?" Tavros repeated faintly.

"Sure." He flexed his arms and reluctantly, Kurloz and Karkat let him go. The younger Makara sat up slowly, bringing his face close to Tavros's. The Nitram turned bright crimson, but Gamzee didn't seem to notice the distance. "Medals, bro. Win a _motherfucking gold medal_ in your fucking topic, and I swear to _never fucking bring up shit_ like this again." Tavros felt light headed, but Gamzee wasn't done. He cleared his throat and added, "But if I can get ten- - -"

"Ten's too much!" Tavros blurted panickedly. The youngest Makara stopped and squinted. The Varisty hurried to explain. "I-I mean, we already did, uh, Speech and Interview? And, um, Essay's one of the hardest? So, so maybe...maybe those shouldn't, uh, have to count?"

"Fine, motherfucker." Gamzee said after a long moment of contemplation. "Seven motherfucking gold medals for ten motherfucking dates." Tavros nodded jerkily before realization hit.

"M-Maybe, maybe just medals?" He asked weakly. Gamzee's glower darkened and Tavros squeaked in surprise, his words practically tripping over themselves as he tried to get them out. "Seven gold, uh, it seems like, like too much. Doesn't it?"

"Nah, bro, I got this." Gamzee purred softly in his throat. A warm smile covered his face, and he reached out to stroke Tavros's cheek. Karkat gagged in protest, but both boys ignored him. "Gold medal for my main motherfucker here, seven gold for this motherfucker. I got this." As if to seal the deal, the youngest Makara leaned forward and closed the few inches of space between them.

Tavros and Gamzee shared their third kiss in the view of the Makara-Leijon family, over a bet that was tipped dangerously in the Nitram's favor. One of Gamzee's hands was on Tavros's cheek, the other one touching his hip lightly; Meulin and Nepeta clapped happily in the background, but they were faded into the background in Tavros's mind. His focus was on Gamzee, how he felt and the gentle way his lips moved against his own.

He whined quietly in the back of his throat when Gamzee pulled away; the Honors student laughed lowly and squeezed his hip, drumming long spindly fingers against the tanned skin.

"Get to bed, motherfucker." He whispered. "Gotta a long _motherfucking day_ tomorrow."


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two of State Competition

Sunday March 20

Tavros was startled awake by John launching himself off the bed; it knocked him off the bed as well, and he woke to the sensation of falling. Disoriented, it took the Nitram a few seconds to gather himself together enough to realize what was going on. Eridan's alarm was going off again, at five-fifteen in the morning, and Egbert was clearly not feeling as understanding as he had been the previous morning. Eridan was forcefully woken by the Honors student landing on him and shoving him off the bed. With a startled shriek that Eridan later denied with a violent blush, they hit the wall that connected their room to the girls'.

It took the girls about a minute to comprehend what was going on next door, wherein Eridan managed to somehow get John's arm in his mouth and bite down hard; Egbert let out a startled yowl and banged a fist on Ampora's head, forcing him to release his arm. Vriska was the first to react out of the three, because she left her shared room and began banging on the door, shouting abuse at the three boys for waking them up. She was joined a few moments later by Feferi banging on the wall, which was the background noise to John and Eridan fighting on the ground. It was joined by Eridan's alarm buzzing from underneath the bed, where it had fallen when John hit Ampora.

They rolled around the floor, crashing into the corners of the bed and the walls. Eridan elbowed John in the gut; Egbert responded by connecting his fist with Ampora's cheek. Tavros managed to get the blanket off of his head just as Eridan crashed his forehead into John's face, and John retaliated with slamming the other Honors student into the cabinet that housed the television. The electronic device wobbled dangerously as Eridan yelped in pain when the back of his head connected with the wood.

Tavros had somehow gotten himself tangled in the blankets when he fell; as Eridan screamed about public image and the other teams, Nitram was trying futilely to get out of the blankets and off the floor long enough to get to his roommates to stop them. Or at least to the door, so he could stop Vriska from waking anyone else.

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" His heart sank as Karkat's voice joined the fray. The awakening of the self-proclaimed team leader was followed by Sollux and Dave; the boys on the other side of the wall either assumed their boyfriends were in need of assistance or fighting, as they joined Vriska at the door fairly quickly. Their voices, though, were drowned out by Karkat banging on the opposite side of the wall. "YOU ASSHOLES BETTER NOT BE FUCKIG SHIT UP IN THERE, I'M WARNING YOU NOW!"

Just as Tavros gave up on ever getting untangled from the blankets, the pounding at the door stopped. Even Karkat was silenced, and it took the Nitram a few seconds of silence to gain the courage to figure out why.

Parcel Mistress stood in the doorway, glowering darkly at her two Honors students. Vriska was peering in around the doorway, Dave on Parcel Mistress's other side with Sollux beneath him. Her blonde hair was in disarray around her face, and she didn't even look properly dressed; a pink robe was thrown haphazardly on, one of her shoulders exposed to the cold air, a blue sash tied loosely around her waist. The look on her face prompted John and Eridan to untangle from each other silently, save for Ampora's alarm going off still.

"What is going on in here?" She asked dangerously. Both boys exploded at once.

"He sets his alarms super fucking loud- - -"

"- - -honestly not that bad- - -"

"- - -doesn't get up for a whole fucking hour- - -"

"- - -exaggeratin' just a bit there, aintcha Egbert, I just- - -"

"Enough!" Parcel Mistress cut the both of them off, and both boys shut up out of surprise. She glared at all of them, Tavros included, and crossed her arms irritably. "That's enough out of all of you. It is too damn early to be dealing with something like this. Just stop fighting and get ready. We have a long day ahead of us." She turned to leave, then whirled around again. Pointing accusingly at John and Eridan, she added, "and no more fighting!" With that said, Parcel Mistress stomped out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

"And shut off your damn alarm." Vriska snapped irritably before stomping off next door. Dave tilted his head to the left silently in question, but John shook his head once and the Strider disappeared from the door frame. Sollux slipped into the room though, stepping gingerly over Tavros to get to his boyfriend. John raced to the bathroom, slamming the door shut as Captor crouched in front of Ampora; the Honors student was glowering down at the floor, his face flushed.

"Fuck off, Sol." He muttered as Sollux poked his face where John punched him. White appeared briefly where Captor poked him, but blood rushed back to the spot quickly. Eridan pulled his legs up to his chest, wincing slightly.

"Come on, fithie." Sollux said quietly, his voice sounding hoarse and tired as he nudged Ampora's legs with his elbow. "Why don't you come get ready in our room, yea? No more fighting and thit." Eridan glowered at the floor again and Captor sighed in irritation. He sounded much more awake when he spoke again and said, "Well, go let Feferi see you, at least. Let her know you're ok or something."

"W-whatev-ver."

"Fuck you very much, then." Sollux answered back almost cheerfully. "I offered, asshole." With that, Captor stood and bypassed Tavros again; with a slight pause, he bent down and tugged once on the blanket. It came off easily, leaving Tavros shivering a bit but free from his cloth prison.

"Thanks." He muttered quietly while Eridan dug around underneath the bed. Sollux saluted him and strode out, closing the door behind him.

They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound coming from the bathroom where John was showering. Eridan reappeared with his phone in hand, shutting off the alarm easily. Nitram began pulling clothes out of his suitcase, careful of the dress clothes he'd packed for the Speeches and Interview. Deciding at the last second that his shared room was far too stuffy, Tavros slathered on some deodorant and pulled on a clean pair of jeans. The tests were going to be held in a giant meeting room at the Hilton; thankfully, the Quality Inn was only a couple of blocks away from the Hilton, so they were all going to be walking. For Tavros, that meant that while he had to get dressed, it didn't necessarily mean he had to get dressed up. After some internal debate, the Varsity student pulled out an indigo colored shirt and tried to get it on; it got caught in his hair and he sighed, not even bothering to hide his irritation. Instead, just as the shower shut off in the bathroom, he fell backwards and sprawled out on the floor.

As soon as John came out of the shower, Eridan darted past him and slammed the door shut. Egbert watched him almost impassively before looking down at Tavros as he continued pulling the t-shirt over his head.

As soon as John came out of the shower, Eridan darted past him and slammed the door shut. Egbert watched him almost impassively before looking down at Tavros as he continued pulling the t-shirt over his head.

"Not gonna hit the shower today?" He asked. Tavros paused, thought about it, and managed to get his head through the proper hole so he could look up at John.

"I feel, that maybe, uh, Eridan's gonna be in there," he responded, "probably for a while. He seems like, uh, he'd be that kind of guy. Who would do that. In revenge, I mean, for the fight. The one you guys had." John stared at Tavros for a moment, brows furrowed as he thought about what the Varsity was saying.

"Yea." He sighed after a moment, striding over to his suitcase and pulling his own clothes out to get dressed. "That sums up Eridan pretty well, I guess. Which is stupid, you know, because he's going to make us all late. What an asshole."

The silence between the two boys after that was almost as suffocating as when it was Eridan rather than John, and it reaffirmed Tavros's earlier idea; he pulled an oversized black zip hoodie on, though he had no idea where it came from, and hightailed it out of the room.

As he did, he slammed right into Gamzee, who looked as if he couldn't decide to knock on the door or not. Bony hands landed on his shoulder to steady him, and Tavros bit back a squeak. Makara leaned down a bit, fingers picking at the cloth. He seemed intent on it, a small twitching of the corners of his mouth giving away his amusement. The Honors student seemed to have read Tavros's mind; he was wearing torn black jeans and an oversized t-shirt, wearing no sweater despite the morning's chill. His hair was loose and wavy just like Tavros was used to, falling in his eyes and brushing his shoulders. His makeup was still gone, but his face looked a bit healthier than it had the day before; certainly, some of the bruises had faded away, and the bags under his eyes looked a bit lighter.

"Morning, motherfucker."

"Morning, Gamzee!" He squeaked in response. His hands began shaking and his heart pounded in his chest; in the back of his mind, he catalogued the warm look of surprise that crossed Gamzee's face when he saw the color shirt the Varsity was wearing. Belatedly, Tavros realized it matched the color of Gamzee's eyes perfectly.

"Just wanted to wish my best fucker good luck." The Honors student rumbled a bit distantly. " _Before we had to go and all_."

"Thank you, Gamzee." Tavros breathed. That Gamzee intentionally sought him out to tell him something so simple really touched the Varsity. He felt his cheeks grow warm and a flutter in his chest that almost took his ability to speak. Very slowly, a flush began crawling its way up his cheeks and ears. "That's, uh, very kind of you. Very, very sweet. Thank you." Makara beamed in apparent happiness, which fell when Karkat slammed the door open.

"Thank fuck, you're still here." He snarled. "Let's get the hell out of here before anyone else gets any more fucking bright ideas." Vantas grabbed Gamzee and proceeded to tug him towards the stairs so that they could go; Tavros could see over the edge of the rail, where Kurloz and Meulin were already by the car with Nepeta. Their daughter was sitting on the hood of the car, eyes moving back and forth between her parents' conversation. They were obviously waiting for the two boys, and Karkat at least was eager to get them down so they could make it to the hotel on time.

Gamzee growled at the man handling, though, and twisted around; he slammed Karkat into the rail and held him down with his forearm. The Varsity team leader choked, hands gripping the one arm tightly in response. His crimson looking eyes were wide with fear, his body twisting in an attempt to get the lankier boy off. Gamzee held him down easily with one hand, breathing hard and snarling.

"I don't know what fucking started this." Gamzee grumbled in his throat; it came out deep and dark and gravelly, sending pleasant chills down Tavros's spine. The other Varsity was frozen still, unable to do anything but watch while Gamzee choked Karkat. " _But you best up and fucking stop_. Manhandling me like I'm some _fucking child_."

"F-Fine!" Karkat wheezed out. He twisted again, almost as if he was proving to himself how futile the effort was. His face was slowly turning red, starting at his cheeks and spreading. "Fine. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Gamzee…p-please…" The Makara glowered for a brief moment before he released his friend. Stepping back, he sent one more unreadable look at Tavros before shoving his hands in his pockets and slinking towards the stairs. Karkat coughed, rubbing his throat and sending a glare at Tavros while he straightened with a wince.

"What?" The Varsity said defensively.

"Thanks for all your fucking help, shitsponge." He snapped back. His voice was hoarse and rough sounding, though not nearly as dark as his friend's. Without waiting for Tavros's response, Karkat stomped off after Gamzee.

Twenty minutes later, everyone was gathered downstairs in the main office; the free breakfast that was promised in the hotel website was spread out. Pancakes and waffles, butter and syrup, toast and jams, cereal and milk, fresh fruit, orange and apple juices, all of it was spread out across the bar by the front desk. What was left of the team- - -meaning Tavros, John, Eridan, Feferi, Sollux, Dave, and Vriska, as well as Ms. Paint and Parcel Mistress- - -were seated around the food, munching on their breakfasts. Tavros and Eridan settled for toast and cereal, Feferi and Vriska were munching happily on pancakes, and John was trying futilely to get Dave to eat something other than apple juice.

"Ya nervous, Tav?" Eridan asked quietly.

"Just a bit." He admitted. "What happens if I take the test and I don't get anything?"

"Not a thing that'll happen, bro." Dave inputted suddenly. "With how you tore up that damn book? Gotta get some sort of shit for that, you know."

"Seriously, Tavros," John added, "you read that book more than any of us. You remember shit I don't even remember about the book. You've gotta get a medal for it, a gold medal!"

"Thanks, guys." Tavros said quietly, smiling at the three boys. He felt a little bit better, but nerves still fluttered in his stomach despite his teammates' assurances. They didn't know it, but he had something riding on his getting a gold medal; and despite his own knowledge of his study methods, the Varsity was still unsure of his own abilities to even get a medal, let alone a gold one. The test seemed to loom over him like a battle axe, waiting to fall and decide his fate for him.

And then he felt a little bit ridiculous for his train of thoughts, because really? It was a test, not the end of the world. He'd taken them before and he'd be taking more before his school career ended; just because there was a bet attached to it didn't mean that Tavros had to act as dramatic as he was now. He told himself firmly that he needed to stop being silly, because he would be fine. The rest of his team told him so, and even Gamzee had stopped by to wish him luck.

Besides, any medal would be better than no medal. Wouldn't it?

They finished eating in silence; not even Parcel Mistress and Ms. Paint were talking to each other. In unison, the remaining members of the AcaDec team put aside what they had left and headed towards the exit of the hotel lobby. Staying by each other's side, the team turned to the right and began heading the couple blocks they needed to go to get to the Hyatt.

Tavros studied the building they followed across the street; it was big, spanning at least two blocks from street light to street light. It had two stories, and a lot of steps in the front. The building looked old but well-kept, and Tavros felt something in his stomach tighten at the sight of it. He couldn't figure out why he had such a reaction until his Scholastic teammate piped in.

"That's the building the Relay's going to be in." Vriska whispered in his ear suddenly. Tavros jumped, but she kept him marching forward with her hands on his shoulders. Her voice sounded odd when she spoke, like she wasn't sure how she was supposed to be feeling herself. "I heard that it fits all the teams here for State Competition. So we're all going to be packed into that enormous space." Tavros felt chills go down his spine. Vriska didn't seem to notice; she kept whispering in his ear. "You'd better be ready, Tavros. Our team counts on you guys specifically to help our scores, and everyone's going to be watching you. There's over a hundred teams here, right now. I read in the pamphlet the Mistress gave us."

"You're, uh, not helping, Vriska." Tavros hissed back. She squeezed his shoulders warningly as they approached the street light that would take them to the Hyatt. He shifted them irritably, trying to dislodge them, but Vriska had him in a vice grip. Her nails were beginning to bite into him, even through his shirt, and the Varsity had enough.

He stopped as they finished crossing the crosswalk, taking a hold of her hands and pulling them off. Vriska started, staring at him with wide cobalt eyes. She didn't feel the need to dress to impress either it seemed; she had on a white spaghetti strap underneath a large loose blue shirt and a pair of torn jeans on. Her makeup looked a little bit rushed, her hair in a frizzy loose braid hanging over her shoulder. Her mouth parted, surprise decorating her features, but Tavros spoke over her.

"Don't try to make me feel worse just because you're nervous." He said darkly. "This whole thing is stressful enough, you know. Adding how many teams are here or what we're up against doesn't do anything but hinder us. And uh, we all have to do the same thing. Stop it, please." When she didn't answer, Tavros released her hands and kept walking, shoving his hands in his pockets and hunching his shoulders up. He tensed when an arm landed around them, but a quick glance to the side revealed the owner of the arm to be Dave.

"Wicked ass job, bro." He said. "Looks like you didn't need my help to move up in your echeladder after all, huh?"

"Don't start that again, please." Tavros sighed as they opened the doors to the Hyatt. Dave put his hands in the air in mock surrender; then he slid back to his usual spot by John. The rest of the team followed after them, huddling together a bit more as they all stared around the Hyatt

The hotel had the air conditioner running full blast, and they all shivered a bit as they made their ways through the hallways to find the room they were going to be testing in. As they walked, following Parcel Mistress's quiet instructions and the signs posted on the walls, they began passing teams gathered together and studying. Several of the teams were seated quietly in a group, reading their study guides alone. Others were holding group studies, going over the materials together and helping each other understand the contents.

"Hey, guys! Up here!" As they reached the meeting room where the tests were going to be held, Nepeta's voice rang out from above them. Together, they all looked up and realized that there was actually a second floor to the hotel, and the other part of their team was seated in what was possibly the best place in the entire hotel.

Kurloz and Meulin waved at them from above the room, sitting by the top of the stairs with Gamzee, Karkat, and Equius. The boys were sitting at a table with the Makara-Leijon family, each engrossed in their study guides. Nepeta was on the floor, laying down and waving at them with one hand between the wood of the rail while playing on a ds.

"Hey!" Feferi dropped down daintily beside Nepeta, sliding her legs through the same rails by the Leijon. She leaned over at the same time the other girl tilted the screen so that the Peixes could see. As they chatted about the game, the rest of the AcaDec team assembled themselves around Karkat, Gamzee, and Equius. Tavros took a seat by Gamzee, sitting on the chair right behind the taller Makara. He leaned back into the Nitram's legs, warmth burning through the jeans the Varsity wore. Tavros barely focused on the packet for Language and Literature, intent on feeling the muscles in Gamzee's back move as the Honors student shifted and breathed and turned pages in his own packet. Time slipped by until it was suddenly 7:55; John and Dave stood, followed by Vriska and Karkat, as everyone else began putting their packets away so they could begin testing.

They all followed each other silently down the stairs to the testing room, so focused on remembering everything that they ignored the well wishes from their group.

Standing on the interior of the enormous room, Tavros felt his anxiety come back in full force. Hands shaking and unwilling to be by his teammates any longer, the Nitram was the first one to break away and find his seat. The rows and rows of tables swam before him as he tried to find the number 29 that he was associated with. Each step brought him further from his only source of comfort; by the time Tavros found his seat, he was trembling so hard he was vibrating. Taking a couple deep breaths as he sat down to calm his nerves, the Alternian Varsity was so wound up that a gentle tapping on his shoulder made him jump five feet in the air.

"Good golly!" The boy who'd tapped him mimicked his movements, his chair screeching to the side as he jumped. They stared at each other with wide eyes for a brief moment before the other boy relaxed slowly; it prompted Tavros to do the same, albeit at a slower pace than him.

"Sorry." Tavros whispered quietly. The other boy laughed, cheeks scrunching up.

"Not a worry, chap, we're all good!" He practically boomed out. The other boy straightened his glasses and turned a bit to watch Tavros. "This is my first competition, you know. I'm really excited!"

"It's mine too." Tavros held out a hand. "Varsity."

"Scholastic." The other boy took his hand and shook it firmly; too firmly. Tavros felt his arm jostle almost painfully, his fingers being squeezed by the other boy's hand. "I'm Jake, I'm with Prospit."

"You're Jade's cousin!" The other boy- - -Jake, it seemed- - -jumped just a bit at the mention of his cousin. He began looking at Tavros suspiciously, his hand still outstretched, and the Varsity took it hurriedly. "I'm Tavros, from Alternia."

"Tavros!" Jake boomed again, pleased at finding a semi-familiar face. Both of his hands gripped Tavros's, and he shook it very firmly. "I remember you. My cousin was very pleased when you guys picked up communications again! How are you?"

"Uh, fine!" Tavros squeaked. His arm was sore when Jake finished. The other boy opened his mouth again, probably to make some comment about the teams, but English was interrupted by the feedback of the microphone.

"Good morning, teams!" Her voice echoed through the room, following the screech of the equipment. "Welcome to the second day of testing! Before we begin, we have a schedule that we're going to go over." There was the sound of rustling paper as she shifted things aside. "Our day will go as followed: Art, Economics, Language and Literature. We'll have a twenty minute break, then continue on with Mathematics and Music. We'll have an hour for lunch, and end with Science and Social Science. That will conclude our testing period until the Super Quiz Relay, which we will hold around 8 tonight."

"Our Art test will now begin." Another announcer started a few seconds later. His words were proven when a booklet and scantron was placed firmly in front of Tavros; the Varsity jumped, having not expected the movement. "It will start with ten visual questions. After that, the other ninety will be on your own. Keep your eyes on your own paper. Cheating with not be tolerated."

He didn't say anything more; he didn't have to. As soon as the tests were finished being handed out and the volunteers were back on the side of the room, a projector turned on. The muses filled the screen, and Tavros looked down at the corresponding questions for them.

The Art test seemed to drag on forever. Tavros scribbled answer after answer; still, it felt like hours before the announcer turned on the microphone and called for their pencils to be put down. The Economics test passed in the same long manner, and Tavros was almost relieved to end that as well.

But the Language and Literature test started right after, and nerves fluttered again in his stomach.

The first ten questions were on a shorter selection printed on the first page. With shaking hands, Tavros answered each question carefully. He even looked them over when he finished, even though it was only ten questions out of a hundred.

Then he moved on to the main questions, the ones about the book. They passed quickly, and Tavros could practically feel himself flying through the Language and Literature test. In what felt like minutes, he was on the last ten questions; they weren't on the book, but on the shorter selections. He answered those as quickly as he had the first ten.

Then he turned the scantron over and put his head down on the table.

Then the break came up, and Tavros didn't have time to worry about how his Lang and Lit test went. Ignoring the Mathematics study guide completely, the Varsity tore through as much of the Music packet as he could in the twenty minutes they were allowed. Most of his teammates followed his example. Gamzee sprawled out on the floor next to him, reading lazily through both packets at once. Karkat was sitting on a chair at the table by them both, studying Music while Sollux and the rest of Honors tore through Mathematics.

After their twenty minutes were up, they filed down the stairs and back into the room. Tavros was too nervous to even look at Jake, let alone speak to him; the few minutes before their scantrons were passed out went by in silence.

The rest of the tests, and lunch, passed by in such a blur Tavros wasn't sure what happened until the scantrons for Science were collected. He made a noise in the back of his throat when the volunteer moved on, hand outstretched as if to take his answers back. Blinking and feeling just a bit disoriented, Tavros barely felt Jake clapping his shoulder, didn't even hear him saying goodbye. Still dazed, he stood up mechanically and followed the rush of students out to the hallway, following different kids until a hand slipped into his own.

John pulled him out of his daze, yanking him around the other competitors to the stairway where Kurloz, Meulin, Nepeta, Feferi and Parcel Mistress were waiting.

"Where is everybody?" Tavros asked the Honors student over the noise of the crowd. He felt off still, like something was missing, and he couldn't figure out what it was. The world was only slightly hazy at the moment, sharpened by the feeling of John's hand in his and the Honors student's voice in his ear as he replied.

"We're still waiting for them to come out." John called back. "You and me, we can tell Parcel Mistress that we're gonna start heading back, if you want. To the hotel, I mean. We gotta get a head start on studying for the Relay."

"We should wait for, um, everyone else." Tavros said, spotting Vriska's blue shirt and Dave's shades. "See, there's Vriska. We all need a last minute cram, I think." John shrugged a shoulder and raised his hand, hailing his boyfriend. The blonde grabbed a hold of Vriska and tugged her in their direction, Eridan and Sollux several feet behind the duo. Tavros scanned the crowd, trying to place the tall black haired Honors student that was Gamzee.

There were so many students, though, and Tavros felt his heart sink with every one that wasn't Gamzee. Steeling himself to ask John to wait some more, even as the rest of the team joined them, Tavros jumped six feet in the air when he turned around and saw Gamzee looming up over him. Karkat stood by his side, complaining loudly to Dave about the Music test, and Equius stood on the other side with Nepeta hanging off of his arm, having a quiet discussion about the Science questions with Eridan and Sollux.

"Wassup, motherfucker?" Gamzee rumbled. " _How'd your motherfucking test go_? Think you did ok?"

"Uh…" Tavros forgot how to talk as the bet resurfaced in his mind, and the Language and Literature test flashed in his head. He didn't realize John was listening intently to him as he stammered out, "well, I mean, I, I think I did, um, ok…it was, it was too easy, um, the Language test, I mean, it was too easy for me. I uh, I finished too quickly."

"That's good!" John enthused. Their gazes both snapped to the other Honors student, and Tavros flushed when he realized how close he'd gotten to Makara without realizing it. Egbert continued as if he didn't notice the mood between the two boys. "I mean, if you think it went that easy, then you're sure to get a gold medal!" Gamzee stiffened a bit beside him, and Tavros found himself wishing his roommate would shut up. "After all, the tests weren't exactly easy, were they? You have to have gotten something!"

"Exactly." Gamzee muttered balefully. Out of the corner of his eye, Tavros watched as the taller boy shoved his hands in his pockets, shoulders slumping just a little bit.

"I don't know about that, guys." He said shyly as they exited the hotel and crossed the street. "I mean, I know I studied hard, but…"

"Let me put it this way." John pulled Tavros aside as they walked up the stairs, allowing Vriska, Eridan, Gamzee and Dave ahead of them. His blue eyes were uncharacteristically serious as he told the Varsity, "The tests were intentionally designed to be harder than the ones at Reginals. If you found even one of them easy, even just a little bit, that means you are bound to get a medal. Maybe even a gold one, ok?" Tavros nodded a bit shakily at the conviction in his teammate's voice, and John patted his shoulder gently. "Don't be so hard on yourself, ok?"

"Thanks, John." The Honors student smiled brilliantly at his teammate, patting his shoulder before heading to Karkat and Dave's room. Tavros watched him go, uncertain of whether or not to follow, when his attention was grabbed by Eridan calling his name. He twisted a bit the opposite way to see Ampora standing with Vriska, Nepeta and Feferi already heading into the girls' room.

"We're gonna be studyin' in Vris' room for the Relay." Eridan told Tavros. "You can join me an Fef an Nep, or you can go with the others."

"Eridan!" Vriska hissed. The boy recoiled, but Serket didn't do more than 'tsk' in his direction before glaring sullenly at Tavros. "All right all right. I guess you can join us." She motioned for him to follow her as she pushed past Eridan into her room. Ampora made a face at her, and Tavros hesitated; wondering where Gamzee had disappeared off to, he practically ran into the room before the door was shut on him.

Once they got inside, they made quick work of getting themselves comfortable. Tavros sat on the floor by Feferi and Nepeta's bed, pulling out his Super Quiz packet and settling himself as comfortably as he could on the hotel floor. Feferi leaned against several pillows she placed on the headboard, playing on her phone quietly while Eridan laid on his back between her legs; his head against his stepsister's chest, he looked almost bored as he re-read the Science packet. Vriska laid on her stomach on her own bed, looking down at the same packet as her teammates while they all studied. Nepeta curled up at Vriska's feet, dozing off while she watched a movie on her laptop.

They sat in silence, save for the annoyed noises coming from Vriska's throat; science was hard, and they were using all the time they had for studying for the Relay. Tavros found that he could barely make himself focus on the words before him; in his mind, he kept going over the Language and Literature test. It seemed almost too easy compared to the rest of the tests, and the fact bothered him a bit. John had enthusiastically commented on how it meant that Tavros was sure to receive a gold medal, but the Varsity couldn't help but doubt his Honors teammate. After all, in his past experiences, a test that was too easy usually meant he failed it miserably. The thought made him simultaneously extremely depressed and slightly hopeful, which was an odd combination, but he didn't have time to thoroughly examine his feelings; they had the Relay to get through, and he needed to put his focus on the Super Quiz papers in front of him.

"Fuck it!" Vriska snapped irritably, breaking the silence of the room and making everyone jump. She nearly kicked Nepeta off the bed as she stormed into the bathroom and returned with a pair of scissors. Without breaking stride, Serket strode over to the door and locked it easily, placing the chain in the door so that nobody would get in. Then she turned and held the scissors out. "So, who wants the honors of cutting my hair?"

"What?!" Nepeta yowled after a few seconds of stunned silence. Vriska hissed at her to be quiet, but the Leijon ignored her. "We can't do that! It's insane!"

"It's my fucking hair!" She snapped back. "It's fucking hot and heavy and I hate it. So much. There is so much hate for the length of my hair, you guys don't even know. My mother won't let me fucking cut it. And it's driving me nuts. So either one of you assholes do it, or I'll do it myself." Nobody moved, staring wide eyed instead at the girl, and Vriska huffed angrily. With a rough yank of her hair, she pulled a long section of it forward and placed it between the blades of the scissors.

"Wait!" Feferi attempted to scramble up to stop Vriska, but she got caught in her stepbrother instead. They fell off the bed in a mass of tangled limbs, landing on Tavros; papers scattered all over the bed and the floor, a mixture of both boys' papers fluttering as Vriska laughed. Tavros had yelped when his teammate and her stepsister landed on him, though it was the only noise that left him. Their combined weight along with the short fall from the bed meant that they hit him with enough force to leave him gasping for air. And as they struggled to untangle from each other and get off of the Varsity at the same time, it only made it worse for Tavros.

"You guys are so pathetic!" She giggled as Feferi finally pushed herself up. Pushing her own dark hair out of her face, the Peixes huffed and stumbled up into a standing position, pulling her brother with her and off of Tavros; he gasped in great gulps of air, ignored by everyone but Nepeta. She was patting his back gingerly, trying to help him put air back in his lungs so he could breathe normally.

"You can't cut your hair on your own, Vriska." The girl said breathily. "You'll make it uneven. You can't exactly sea behind you, glub!" "So you'll do it, then?" Vriska asked, dropping her hair and holding the scissors out to the other girl. Feferi blanched, her tanned skin turning ashen as she lurched backwards and knocked her brother down onto Nitram once again; Nepeta let out a yowl and jumped back onto her bed. Peixes tripped over the tangled limbs of Eridan and Tavros, landing on the other bed. "Well, maybe not..." Feferi stammered hesitantly. Serket scoffed and turned a look at Nepeta; the Leijon gulped, but slowly stood up and took the scissors. "And one point for the girl that has balls!" Vriska cheered, shooting a glare at the rest of the people in the room. Nepeta chuckled nervously, eyes darting nervously around the room while the Scholastic strode over to her bathroom. Without a word, the group moved over to the bathroom; Tavros collected what he could of his packet and followed behind them. Slipping easily past the crowded doorway, Tavros crawled to the wall; cramming himself right next to the counter, he sat on the floor and watched as Vriska pulled her hair tie out of her hair and put it on the counter. She grabbed a brush and ran it through her long silky hair a couple of times, then stopped.

Vriska stood in her bathroom, staring at her reflection with a scowl. Her hair hung down her shoulders, free of any ponytail or braid. Tavros had known Vriska for almost five years, and he had no idea how long her hair was until now; it was straight and heavy, falling just past her hips and brushing against the top of her butt.

"I don't know if this is a good idea, Vriskers." Nepeta mewled. She held the scissors, standing behind Vriska with the blades open. Feferi stood by the doorway, her own hair tangled nervously around her fingers as she glubbed at her stepbrother. Eridan was sitting on the counter next to Tavros, watching with wide eyes at the event unfolding before him.

"Just do it." Vriska said confidently. She gathered her hair in a bunch and brushed it down again, holding it over her shoulder. Nepeta looked over her head and met her eyes in the mirror, worried olive to encouraging blue.

All five of them jumped when someone started pounding on the door, though there was no noise from the other side; only rhythmic knocking. It sounded like a code, and only Leijon seemed to understand it at all.

"Mama!" Nepeta gasped, her hand tightening on the scissors. It closed the blades, and Vriska sighed in annoyance; with an irritated look, she pulled her hair to the side, inspecting it critically as she twisted it around in her hand.

"Leijon, Peixes, Nitram, Ampora!" She hissed, glaring at each one of them in the mirror. Eridan shrank back into the wall, his foot hitting Tavros's packet. "One of you cut my fucking hair, or so help me god- - -"

Nepeta reached forward quickly and cut Vriska's hair just under her hand; what looked like a good four inches fell to the floor, sprawling in a mess on the fake tile. Nepeta squeaked in shock and dropped the scissors, scampering back to Feferi. Peixes released her hair to grasp Nepeta by the shoulders, both girls staring wide eyed at Vriska.

The pounding on the door got more frantic.

Vriska straightened up, brushing her hair back and sighing in content. She turned to face Nepeta and Feferi, rolling her eyes when she saw them huddled together in the doorway.

"Oh my god, what wimps!" She laughed. Outside, Meulin seemed to have vanished completely as the knocking stopped; only Serket's voice broke the silence around them. "You can't honestly- - -"

"Oh, cod, V-Vris!" Eridan pointed at her back, his eyes wide with horror. Tavros, who hadn't been paying attention because he was more focused on reading the packet again, looked up from where he was crouched on the floor.

He understood Eridan's sudden exclamation perfectly.

Vriska's hair was very obviously two differently lengths; on the right, her hair hung halfway down her back, more than she had expected to cut it. On the left, it was almost three inches longer, just above her waist. She hadn't meant to have it cut so obviously short, not wanting to incur her mother's wrath, but now she was left with no choice; Vriska needed to have it evened out, and the sooner she was made aware of what happened, the better.

"What?" Vriska snapped at him. Eridan shrank back, pressing himself against the wall, clearly unwilling to be the one who had to break the news to his sole female teammate. Serket turned fully to face Ampora head on, allowing Feferi and Nepeta to get a good view of the Leijon's handiwork. Both girls squeaked, making Vriska turn halfway before realization struck her.

Her own eyes went wide with shock, her hands flying to the nape of her hair, and Vriska almost turned again before changing her mind. She lunged past Feferi and Nepeta, who scrambled to move out of her way; Vriska made a beeline to her bag, tossing everything out of it. Clothes, a skirt, even one of her bras flew out and landed all over the room.

"A mirror!" She snapped, a hint of panic in her voice. "Find me a god damned mirror!" Vriska turned and saw them staring at her, none of the others in the room having so much as breathed too loudly. Her eyes narrowed, and she threw the next thing she pulled: her shampoo. It hit the wall by Eridan's head, the half empty bottle creating a loud noise that echoed, and he jumped. Vriska readied her conditioner, aiming at Feferi and Nepeta this time. "Find me. A god damned. Mirror. Now."

Everyone jumped into action then. Feferi dove towards her own bag, Nepeta behind her. Not wanting to face her mother's wrath, Leijon simply grabbed a wayward bag, digging through that for a mirror while Feferi tore through her suitcase. In a similar position of not wanting Moulin's disapproving look or Kurloz's cold glare, Eridan rushed to help his stepsister, terrified of any more flying projectiles aimed for his head.

Tavros scooted forward a bit and gingerly picked up the scissors Nepeta had dropped.

"Um, V-Vriska?" He squeaked, sounding a bit like Eridan. Serket turned sharply and narrowed her eyes as Tavros stood, holding the scissors out as a pseudo-peace offering.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." She snarled violently. Tavros flinched back, but held his ground. He tried to school his features so he would appear apologetic and sympathetic at the same time, but he wasn't too sure it was working.

"It's gotta be, uh, evened out." He said quietly. "Otherwise, it won't, um, look too good. Wouldn't that, uh, make your mom even madder?" Vriska shot him a dark glare before sniffing and slowly getting to her feet. Eridan, Feferi, and Nepeta watched, frozen, as she carefully stomped on everything thrown around her room.

She came to a stop in front of Tavros, who gulped lightly at the dark look on her face. They had an intense moment where Vriska tried to stare him down, and Tavros tried to keep his courage up to stare back.

"Don't screw it up even more, Torasnore." She snapped, turning around abruptly and squeezing her eyes shut. Tavros bit his lip worriedly when Vriska slapped the counter beneath her and clenched her hands into tight fists. He glanced at the trio in the room, concerned about what he should do. They stared back with equally worried glances, none of them paying attention to Vriska until she slammed her fist into the counter again. Her voice cracked as she snapped at Tavros. "Hurry the fuck up already!"

"Right, right!" Tavros picked up the scissors again in one hand and a lock of Vriska's hair in his other. With one final glance at Eridan, Feferi and Nepeta, Tavros squinted down at the hair in front of him.

He started in the middle, where the unevenness was obvious. Picking up the two different lengths in hair, Tavros put the edges of the shorter hair against the blades of the scissors, cutting into the longer pieces of hair. Once the section had been evened to his satisfaction, Tavros continued to cut across Vriska's back, cutting her hair so that it hung evenly halfway down her back. The room was deathly quiet as he worked, the only noise coming from the snip, snip, snip of the scissors and the soft pat of Vriska's hair falling to the floor.

"Um, all done." He said quietly after a couple of intense minutes. A good portion of Vriska's dark silky locks were crumpled on the floor, her hair reaching to her mid back evenly all around. Tavros felt quite proud of his work, though he felt it best to keep such a feeling to himself at the current moment.

"Get. Out."

"Ah?" Tavros jumped back, dropping the scissors when Vriska rounded on him suddenly, her eyes dark and violent. Her face was red, and her hands were shaking from how tightly she was clenching her fists. He couldn't tell what worried him more, the rage that shook her body or the regret that seemed to build up in her steely gaze; he wasn't given much of a chance to decide, as when he didn't move Vriska slapped him, hard.

"GET OUT!" She screamed. Tavros scampered away, Eridan following him as they scrambled to the door. He hoped Feferi or Nepeta would be able to calm Vriska down, but- - -

"Vriska, it's- - -"

"You, too, Peixes, out!"

"Vriskers, please- - -"

"If you're not on the damn team and you're not a fucking girl, then _GET THE FUCK OUT_!"

\- - -the Varsity student's hopes were dashed when the girls followed them as gracefully and quickly as they could. Almost as soon as they were out of the door, it slammed shut behind them. The lock turned loudly, making them all wince.

A throat cleared suddenly, making them all jump as they turned. Meulin was standing in the hallway, peering curiously around Kurloz; the elder Makara was staring at them with a raised eyebrow, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes narrowed accusingly at Tavros, his tongue darting out to lick his painted lips thoughtfully.

"Ehehe…" Nepeta laughed awkwardly. "Hi Mama. Papa."

Kurloz kept his lips pursed, though he uncrossed his arms and began speaking to his daughter with a stern expression.

"'Did you cut Vrisker's hair?'" The cat-loving girl translated for the benefit of her friends, trembling just a bit. "No, Papa, of course not. 'Then what was the banging noise?' Vriskers got maybe just a little bit upset? 'What for?' Ummm…" Nepeta ended her oddly two-sided conversation with a helpless look at the other three around her, looking for help from one of them. Eridan looked terrified, his violet eyes wide and full of guilt that he didn't actually have. Feferi didn't look any better, though she was more composed than her stepbrother. Her eyes were darting around under her goggles, searching for an answer as well.

They were interrupted by Vriska slamming her door open; she looked almost back to normal, though there was a dark look on her face. Her hair was pulled into a bun; Tavros nearly winced when he noticed it was smaller than usual, but Kurloz and Meulin didn't seem to see the size difference. They patiently turned to see what she would say.

"Fuck off, Makara." She snarled, completely ignoring his raised eyebrow. As a chaperone to an admittedly large group of teenagers, Kurloz didn't exactly have power over any of them, but respect was still given due to the fact that he was an adult and willing to give up two days of work to transport them to the competition and back. Even more so because Nepeta and Meulin were there; both were giving up precious time that could have been used for working or schooling to help the AcaDec team.

There was also the fact that Kurloz hadn't done anything; he was just checking on them before their Relay and concerned about the noise from Vriska's room.

"Little miss _spiderbitch_ ought to be nice to my _motherfucker_." Gamzee growled from behind the group, making them all jump in surprise at the sound of his voice. Tavros felt himself hunch his shoulders in, though Gamzee didn't touch him.

The youngest Makara wasn't even looking at him; he was glowering at Vriska darkly, arms twitching at his sides. The two engaged in a silent battle of glares for a brief moment before Vriska scoffed irritably and slammed the door shut. The lock clicked audibly, and a loud thump was heard from their side of the door.

Then the Honors student turned his gaze on the rest of the group; though it lessened considerably than when it was aimed at Vriska, Gamzee was still glaring at the rest of them. Tavros shifted uncomfortably, but he seemed to be the only one vaguely uneasy. Kurloz and Meulin stared at him impassively, and Nepeta smiled too widely at him. Eridan and Feferi visibly shrank back behind the Leijon girls, looking as if they weren't sure if they should be scared more by Kurloz or Gamzee.

"Parcel Mistress said," he growled quietly, " _to fucking gather everyone_. She wants to go out to dinner. _As a motherfucking team_. One last time before the relay." He paused and added louder, probably for Vriska's benefit, "and she means _all us motherfuckers_. Whether you wanna fucking go _or not_." And even louder, Gamzee finished with, "we leave in twenty fucking minutes. So _be ready_."


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part Two of Day Three of Competition

Sunday March 20 (continued)

The walk to the restaurant was awkward. Tavros, Eridan, Feferi and Nepeta couldn't stop themselves from glancing at Vriska; the Scholastic kept her head high and her back straight, walking with a purpose: avoiding the people who cut her hair. She surrounded herself with John and Dave, not letting anyone else get near her. Nepeta was walking with Feferi and Eridan, leaving Tavros and Gamzee to bring up the rear. The Nitram was alternating his gaze between Vriska and Gamzee; the Makara was still glowering fiercely at her, even though her attitude had changed considerably since the initial hair cut. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, but even that looked much smaller than usual. It was no surprise that she was so upset; Vriska did love her hair, even though it had gotten on her nerves, and she hadn't expected anything more than a trim.

"Hey, Gamzee?" The Honors student grunted a response, and Tavros continued shakily as he tried to change the subject, “how do you think you did on your tests?”

The question caught Gamzee’s attention quickly; his gaze slid from Vriska to his Varsity teammate, squinting a bit as he studied the smaller boy. Tavros smiled a bit nervously, stomach twisting pleasantly underneath the intense gaze. His steps were even with Gamzee’s, a sure sign that the Makara’s attention was focused solely on him; the Honors student wasn't usually so in step with Nitram, due to the fact that his legs were longer and it took a great deal of concentration for Gamzee to shorten his stride when he was high.

“Pretty good.” He rumbled. “I _motherfucking got this_. Don't you worry, little fucker.”

"Right." Tavros shoved his hands in his pockets as the restaurant came into view. Parcel Mistress squealed with glee from where she was walking with the other chaperones, clapping and grabbing a hold of Ms. Paint’s arm. John followed her lead, though Nepeta grabbed Equius and challenged him to race. The Scholastic complied, though he allowed the Leijon girl to take the lead and beat him to the door. Grinning widely at her friend, Nepeta held the door open for everyone to file in, touching each of their shoulders as they filed past her. Vriska dodged her gracefully, not breaking her stride once.

Tavros sat down with Gamzee at his right and Nepeta at his left; the others seated themselves however, with Parcel Mistress and the rest of the adults at the head of the table. The entire decathlon team had their study guides still, planning on some last minute cramming even while they were eating. As they were together, instead of in separate groups studying individually, they started quizzing each other while they were looking over the menu; Karkat and Gamzee ended up being the first to order, the two boys sharing a plate of food. John and Dave did the same, though Eridan and Feferi ended up sharing. Sollux insisted on eating his own food, and Vriska somehow ended up sharing with Tavros. Nepeta and her parents split two plates among the three of them, and Parcel Mistress decided on food for her and Ms. Paint, who had never been to the restaurant before.

While they waited for their food, Tavros read silently by himself. He could hear his teammates around him, talking and laughing and trying to relax before the Relay. Parcel Mistress’s camera was going off, the woman taking pictures of the good time her team was having in between her own conversation with the adults. The whole atmosphere, despite looking casual and relaxed, was thrumming with an undercurrent of nerves and tension. If Tavros had bothered to look up, he would have seen the set line of Sollux's lips, or the tenseness of Karkat’s shoulders. Even Gamzee’s arm, draped as it was over the back of Tavros’s seat, was tense as he tapped a rhythm on the wooden seat and the Varsity’s shoulder. Still, he felt his stomach twisting on itself as he sat at the table, and that was all he could focus on outside of the packet.

He was startled out of his intense studying when a hand caressed his cheek. Blood pooling quickly in his face, Tavros’s eyes shot up to see Nepeta pouting into her seat.

“Tavros has much smoother cheeks!” She mewled.

“Uh, what?” Tavros noticed that the food had been brought to them, at some point; most of his teammates were already eating. Even Gamzee was taking a couple of bites of food, his eyes fixed firmly on the situation going on between Tavros and Nepeta. The Nitram flushed crimson and picked up his fork, sticking it into what was left of the orange chicken he was sharing with Vriska. In the back of his mind, he noted how happy he was most of them had decided to share; the amount of orange chicken and fried rice he and Vriska got could feed at least three people.

“We were trying to see whose cheeks were softer than Vriska’s, since she's the only person who does more than use a bar of soap on her face.” John explained. His packet lay on the table, split so that he and Dave could share. Dave had his head facing in the direction of the packet, but Tavros could see over his shades; his eyes were locked onto the side of John’s face. The Strider was taking lazy bites of food, nudging Egbert every so often to remind him to eat too. “So far she's been the top. Are his cheeks really smoother, Nepeta?” The Leijon girl nodded excitedly, grabbing the sides of Tavros’s head and shoving him over his plate. He squeaked as he tried to avoid getting food on either his packet or his sweater; he only partially succeed, and the Varsity made a noise of dismay as chicken covered the section he was reading.

"Should totally feel them!" Nepeta crowed. “For good luck!”

“Let’s not.” Gamzee’s hand pushed Nepeta’s to the side none too gently, though his motions were kinder as he pulled Tavros’s head to his chest. Anything he said after was lost to the Nitram; his eyes wide and his face flushed darkly, all Tavros could hear was the steady thump of Gamzee’s heart. It was soothing, and for some reason the Varsity could feel it calming his nerves just a little.

And then he was released; without warning, Tavros was pushed back into his own seat. His ears were burning, both from having Gamzee’s warmer than normal hand on them and from being pressed against him. The younger Makara was studiously avoiding looking at him, immersing himself in his own plate of food and refusing to look up again. Tavros stared at him blankly, not really thinking of anything in particular or hearing anything around him.

He spent the rest of dinner in a daze, handing over the money to pay for his meal without looking up and his face feeling dark red. Wordlessly, Tavros handed over his packet for Science to Nepeta and stood up; together, the team walked back to the building where the relay was going to be held.

His nerves were magnified when Nepeta suddenly squealed and bounded forward; she’d spotted Horuss a little ways away. Tavros felt his stomach drop as he remembered that not only were other teams going to be watching, but their families were going to be there as well. He let out a strangled sort of smile, waving awkwardly at Equius’s older brother and wondering if the Scholastic’s parents were around, as well as wondering if there were any other parents that had decided to show up. Feferi and Eridan’s parents were too busy to show up, and Vriska had expressly forbidden her parents from coming down and ‘throwing her off her concentration’. Sollux hadn't said anything about his mother coming down, but Tavros had a feeling that she had her hands full with his brother and wouldn't be coming to cheer her son on.

“Hey, lil bro!” His heart in his throat, Tavros turned around only to be knocked back a couple of steps by a staggering weight. Red hair, bright and vibrant in the sun, blocked his vision; with slightly shaking hands, Tavros wrapped his arms around his brother, stunned by the realization that he was actually there with him on a Sunday.

“Rufioh?” Tavros murmured in slight surprise. His brother squeezed him tighter in response, and Tavros felt his face break out in a smile even as his stomach erupted in more nerves. Rufioh being here meant that his dad might not be far behind; and even if he wasn't, his big brother was still here to watch his Relay. It was both heartening and nerve-wracking, because then Rufioh would know exactly how Tavros did now.

"Dad couldn't make it.” Rufioh whispered in his ear. “But he wishes you luck, little brother.” Tavros squeezed him tighter, closing his eyes tightly as he added, “we’re both so proud of you, Tav. No matter what happens, remember that. You've come so far.”

“Right:” Tavros pulled away, squaring his shoulders and shaking his head slightly. Smiling up at his brother, he pulled him over to where Parcel Mistress was standing with Ms. Paint. He gave the obligatory introductions, pointing out the team members Rufioh didn't know; Karkat and Gamzee, Dave and John, Eridan and Feferi. He skipped delicately over Equius and Nepeta, and didn't ignore how quickly Rufioh dismissed Horuss when the other boy turned pointedly away from him.

He didn't have a chance to point it out. They took pictures at PM’s request, ones of him and Rufioh, and some of them as a group with Rufioh and Horuss as far away from each other as possible; Tavros had spotted Aradia and waved at her, and she’d dragged Jade over to say hello. PM took pictures of them talking together excitedly. None of them had ever been to a competition like this before, and though Rufioh teasingly asked him which one was his girlfriend, Tavros couldn't be happier to see the girls.

And then the double doors opened, and the butterflies returned full-force to his stomach. Waving goodbye to Jade, Aradia, and Rufioh, Tavros turned and followed his team inside.

The inside of the building was enormous, and Tavros felt his stomach bottom out a bit at the sight of it. There were other teams milling about, clearly standing in a line waiting to get into the hallway. There are signs by every team, and Parcel Mistress leads the way to their own sign near the front. Tavros felt himself hunching down just a bit, nerves worsening with each curious gaze turned their way. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he glanced back to see Gamzee reaching out to him.

Feeling warmed, Tavros placed his fingers on top of his hand, and felt Gamzee squeeze gently. Shaking off his unease, Tavros straightened his shoulders and strode forward, not stopping until Parcel Mistress found the sign for Alternia High.

“Ok, team.” She said cheerfully, clapping her hands together. “This is it. The last of competition.”

“Yep.” Karkat said, looking vaguely sick, “and then we can chill for the night and then we have the awards ceremony tomorrow.”

He turned to the gathered group of Alternians, swallowing heavily. Tavros thought he looked rather like he was trying to hide how nervous he was on his own, and wondered if the rest of his team was feeling the same way. His phone buzzed in his pocket, several times, but he didn’t pull it out; they’d all brought their phones, but they weren’t allowed once they went to their seats and Tavros didn’t want to risk getting his taken too quickly.

“So.” Karkat started again, after some deep breaths, “let’s do our best, guys.”

“This is our first time coming to State.” Parcel Mistress said. “You guys did an amazing job this year, and I’m very proud of all of you. You guys gave the unknown your best shot, and no matter what happens with the Relay tonight or the medals tomorrow, you guys ventured further than you did last year. And next year, we’ll be sure to do even better, because now we have an idea of what we’re up against here.”

“What she said.” Karkat murmured, turning red. Gamzee reached out and gathered him in his arms, papping the side of his head gently. “You’re the best team Alternia’s had in fucking years. We gotta make sure we keep it that way.”

“Wicked.” Gamzee said, and the team lapsed into silence. Tavros sat down, pulling out his packet again to do some last minute studying. The rest of the team did the same, and for about ten minutes there was nothing but the sound of rustling paper.

“Attention all students,” the speaker above them crackled to life, catching the attention of everyone around them. “The Relay will be beginning shortly. Please get ready to enter the auditorium. Remember, there are no phones or bags allowed once you are seated in the hall. Pencils will be provided for you. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Tavros stood and stretched, watching idly as Vriska and Eridan gathered their paperwork into their bags. He, Karkat, and Sollux handed their phones and packets, respectively, to Gamzee and Eridan. Parcel Mistress beamed at them, and then they were shuffled forward. Tavros nodded at the two people standing by the door, checking papers before allowing them into the room.

It was much bigger than Tavros anticipated, and the sight of it made his breath catch in his throat. Chairs set up like they were at Regionals- - -three facing forward, one in the middle facing the chairs, a sign next to it proudly stating the school- - -went so far that it almost looked unreal. Tavros felt his knees shake just a bit as he followed Karkat, not even paying attention to the school signs as they walked past them. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see people already sitting down on the sides to watch; there were two sets of seats, right on top of each other, and that made Tavros even more nervous than before.

It wasn’t until they got to Alternia High School that Tavros even realized that they were alone; it was just him, Karkat, and Sollux. The rest of the team had left them at the door, and he turned his head trying to find them.

“Tavros!” That was Vriska, and he whipped his head around again to find the rest of the team sitting down. Nepeta and Feferi had nabbed spots right next to the Alternia flag, and they’d spread out so that nobody could sit around them. Now the team was filling the seats, and Tavros found himself more comforted than he’d thought that they were there.

He glanced upwards, just a bit, and felt himself grimace automatically. Rufioh, it seemed, didn’t feel the need to sit with the rest of the group. Not only that, but he appeared to have Horuss by his side. They were talking, quietly if the way their heads were bent together was any indication, in the front row of the upper seating area.

Tavros found himself hoping that Rufioh wasn’t making the situation worse. They were too similar, he and his brother. They had a habit of trying to make something better while, in actuality, making the entire thing worse off than it was before.

Well, Tavros mused as he turned in his chair, there wasn’t much he could do now. The room was filling much more quickly than he’d anticipated, and he had to put his mind towards the Relay.

It went by quickly, Tavros thought, but it was hard. The questions they asked stumped him, and he found himself guessing at most of the answers. It was over before he could properly feel anything other than confusion, and then Karkat was at his side, pulling on his arm gently to get him to stand. Tavros followed the silent instructions, stretching his arms out and listening to his back crack. They trudged quietly to the side, whispering words of encouragement to the Scholastics as they walked past them.

Vriska looked a bit green, Tavros noted, and Equius was particularly sweaty. Dave was the only one who didn’t look nervous, but then he never outwardly showed anything if he could help it. Tavros put his hand in his shoulder, and Dave tilted his head to the side. Parcel Mistress had taken his shades, and so Tavros met bright crimson eyes instead of Dave’s shade’s.

Those looked uncertain, and Dave was trembling just the slightest bit under his hand.

“You got this, bro.” Tavros said quietly. “Scale, um, that echeladder.” He wasn’t sure he used the word right, not really knowing what it meant, but it seemed to help Dave; his lips quirked, just enough to be called a smirk, and his trembling stopped.

“You know it, Page.” Dave pulled away quickly, joining the Scholastics on the chairs. Tavros sat down with the rest of his teammates, and settled in to watch the next round.

Four questions in, and Tavros was feeling as indignant as Karkat was sounding; the Scholastic questions, while no means easy, were a lot simpler than their own. Karkat was practically foaming at the mouth, but Tavros just sank down into his chair and stewed.

“Hey, fucker.” Gamzee’s arm draped carefully around Tavros, and he started a bit at the contact. He hadn’t realized he sat next to Gamzee, not until Makara said anything, and warmth was blooming from the contact. “How’d you do?”

“Terrible.” Tavros muttered, sinking down a bit. Th action pressed him into Gamzee’s side, and Tavros took advantage of Gamzee’s warmth. He snuggled into him, ignoring the way it pushed the arm of the seat into his side. Gamzee made a weird noise, kind of like a purr, and it sent shivers down Tavros’ s spine.

He didn’t get to enjoy it for long; the Scholastic round went faster than the Varsity, and all too soon Gamzee was untangling himself from Tavros and sloping down the aisle to get to the chair. Tavros watched him go, his heart racing in his chest and causing his breath to catch.

“Y’know,” a silky voice said in his ear, and Tavros jumped about ten feet in the air. He glanced to the side, and saw Vriska leaning back as far as she could in her seat. She’d taken Gamzee’s spot, though she spread her arms across both headrests, and kicked her feet on the chair in front of her. “Makara’s actually not that bad, once you get past his violent streak.”

“You’re not going to scare me again, Vriska.” Tavros muttered, though it didn’t come out as strongly as he would have liked. It came out more petulant, but he didn’t stutter or pause. He counted that as a victory. “Gamzee wouldn’t hurt me, or anyone too bad. He’s not like you, you know.”

“No, he’s not.” Vriska agreed. “He wouldn’t…at least, not in front of you.” Tavros glanced at her again, glowering at her. Vriska put her hands up in mock surrender, a laugh in her voice when she spoke again. “Those guys? That one time, way back when you first joined?” She paused, but Tavros didn’t really acknowledge her. It didn’t deter her at all. “Yea, he went back inside. But he kicked the crap outta them later, you know. Couldn’t keep his…rage in check.”

“What’s your point?” Tavros burst out. Vriska snickered, and they both ignored the dark glower Karkat sent them.

“He’s not as docile as you think.” Vriska said, slamming her feet to the ground. Tavros jumped, glancing away from her to see that the Honors round had finished. Gamzee and John were standing, stretching as John chatted away. Tavros watched as Gamzee’s eyes landed on him, and watched as a glower covered his face when he noticed Vriska.

Suddenly, he was reminded of the fighting they’d heard the first night. The way Gamzee had pinned Karkat to the rail, and the frantic way Karkat had scrabbled at his throat to breathe. Tavros heard, clearly, Karkat pleading with Gamzee to stop, the tense way Kurloz and Meulin acted the morning of interviews and speeches.

Suddenly, Tavros wasn’t so sure about Gamzee anymore.


End file.
